Red Side To The Cherryblossom
by xOnee-sanx
Summary: Sakura Haruno was three when she found out she had a cousin, an older, lovely little girl with long red hair and amber-brown eyes, about the age of four. Fullmetal Alchemist/Naruto crossover, multiple parings: NaruxSak, ItacxOC
1. Chapter 1

Sakura Haruno was three when she found out she had a cousin, an older, lovely little girl with long red hair and amber-brown eyes, about the age of four. They were introduced to each other when the girl's mother announced that she was leaving Konoha with her husband to move to the countryside, away from the hassle and crowded spaces of Konoha. It was Sakura's mother's twin sister; Akina who had brought her daughter round for her first and last meetings with her cousin and Aunt. Both their fathers were no-where to be seen on that particular day, though it was probably best, as both mothers did not approve of each others spouses.

It was a nice autumn day, not cold enough for someone to wear their thickest jumper, but not warm enough for them to be walking around in just plan trousers and a shirt either. The leaves were golden and brown in their colours, swirling around in small gusts of wind, falling from the trees and flying far away in their slow sleep-like death. Konoha at this time of day was calming down from the hustle and bustle of its everyday activates, getting ready to eat a hearty meal, then settle back down in the comforts of home to spend quality time with family and friends while the sun began to fall slowly from the skies of pinks and greens with the pale water blue still clinging to the very edge.

It was down these quietening streets that two figures were steadily walking, wrapped up in very posh and expensive clothing. The taller one, obviously a woman in her mid twenty's wrapped in a thick red shawl, a large white ring on the back of it in the shape of an O. Her dark pink hair was bundled up into a messy side ponytail. She had dark green eyes which seemed to bore right through you if you stared long enough. She was clutching at the shawl with one green-gloved hand to keep it wrapped around her shoulders, keeping the wind from biting at her skin. Her other hand was holding onto the smaller one of a young child, a girl, possibly her daughter. Only the child seemed to be more high class then the woman beside her, she was wearing a dark indigo blue over-coat with a matching hat and white gloves, though none of her clothing held the Haruno symbol. Her white sandals slapped gently in time with her mother's deeper footsteps upon the concrete floor. The girl was quite young but seemed to hold wisdom above her years. She had large amber-brown eyes and flaming red hair that was being blown about her features in the wind, she looked about three to four years old, but a single look into her eyes could tell another story.

The girl shook the woman's hand to gain her attention but did not let go when she found she did not recognise the street they were walking down.

"Where are we going mommy?"

She asked in a small, delicate voice, eyes shimmering with curiosity. The Woman looked at her and smiled, squeezing her hand back.

"We're going to say goodbye, Anna. Goodbye to a few people that I know before we leave."

The woman turned right, and then stopped at the eighth door down the street. She took a few minutes to calm her rapidly beating heart, but her silence and lack of movement invoked more curiosity in her little daughter, who glanced up at her, waiting to see what she would do next.

After five knocks, it was a woman who answered the door; she was also in her mid twenties. The little girl had to blink twice and then glance between the two older women to see if her mind was playing tricks on her, but something told her she wasn't being deluded. The girl was staring at her mother's twin sister who hadn't paid her any heed as of yet, or was ignoring her, she couldn't quite tell.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, my dear sister?"

The woman had forced out when she saw who it was knocking at her door. The two were defiantly twins, place them together and the only thing that could be distinguishable between them was the colour of their hair; the other woman had perfect pink hair, with a shimmer of silver to it, Akina had darker pink, a duller shine to it.

They had not spoken since Akina had discovered she was carrying a child four years ago. Anna's father was an older gentleman in his mid thirties, with dark brown hair and eyes behind glasses, usually seen wandering around Konoha in a black trench coat and heavy iron-toed boots, his origins were unknown but he had arrived in Konoha five years prior to his marriage to the elder Haruno daughter. The elders of the family had not approved of this marriage, nor had her sister.

The man went by the name of Amneo Kenji, an infamous alchemist. That last name alone was enough to set everyone in the village talking; there had been rumours of a travelling alchemist going to all the different villages in fire country. Alchemy at the time was not of big importance, though stories of transmuting gold and mixing up perfect medicines and wealth were getting around, there was also a rumour that Tsunade-sama herself (Who had fled the village years ago with her dead lover's niece) had run into an Alchemist by the same name and he had helped her immensely with her work in the medical field, though one night, something had gone wrong with the research. There were whispers of 'Human alchemy', being done, which was not only banned from the whole state, but also nearly impossible by nature itself. Seemingly because of this illegal act, Tsunade was forced to abandon her research with the mysterious Alchemist, who also vanished that same night. Other then that Alchemy had traditionally been viewed as 'the history of an error', an example of mediaeval gullibility and greed. But alchemy had also been described as the 'mightiest secret that man could possess'. Though the Haruno family and most of Konoha were suspicious and unhappy with the idea of this mysterious man setting up home in their village with his works of science which also threatened religion among other things, they were none-the-less impressed by what he could do.

They weren't happy however, when the oldest of the twins, barley out of her teens herself was seen flirting with him around Konoha's stores. She announced her engagement to him six months later.

"You hardly know him!"

Akina's sister almost cried when she told the whole family at dinner that same night he proposed. Their parents were not approving either.

"Akina dear," their mother started gently "You have only started talking to him a few months ago, what could possibly make you think that you are ready for this type of commitment? And to a stranger even?"

Akina continued to finish her bowl of rice before placing it down and staring at her mother with blank eyes.

"I know him well enough mother; and you should be happy that I have finally found someone at last who loves me back. Plus it is about time I was wedded and found my own accommodations."

"We are happy for you dear, it is great that you think you are in love and want to stand on your own two feet, but why him?! Him of all people?! Why not someone—"

"Someone who what?"

She challenged her mother; whose mouth turned into an ugly frown. This was an old argument, and quite frankly, Akina did not have the strength, physically or mentally to let it last any longer then it already had done. She had had enough. It was time to end this fight, one way or another. It started when the whispers of her meetings with the Amneo man had reached the elder's ears, but it was to stop tonight.

"Someone who isn't afraid to experiment? Someone who isn't afraid to speak his mind?"

True, some of his theories and experiments she herself did not agree with, but it was his career, his job, his life even and she was willing to go through with it, just for him.

"Listen Akina," the twin's father finally decided to speak. "This alchemy thing that his now infamous for, it's just not natural, we don't like it, and neither does the village. We would rather not have you get mixed up in all that pish-tosh. And he is almost ten years your senior, plus he has no background, we do not know where he has been or who with! For all you or I know, he could have five kids by different wives in all other different countries or by different women altogether!"

"You don't know him like I do! If you were to just take the time to—"

"To what?! To allow this filthy old man take advantage of you?"

Her father's tenor snapped and he slammed his ailing hands down on the table, causing various dishes and china to rattle.

"He's not a filthy old man! And I know what I am doing! We're both adults for Kami's sake!"

"Give or take ten years!" Her sister snapped, choosing her parent's side.

"Oh yes?! And what about you're dallying's with that guy from the bookstore down the road my dear chibi nii-chan? Isn't he what, three years older then you?"

He sister's face tinged pink before her eyes turned into slits.

"Don't talk about him like that! He's a proper gentleman, mother and father like him a lot, and at least he isn't some alchemy-using witch freak!"

_Slap._

The back of Akina's hand made a large red imprint on her little sister's soft check. The room was filled with tense air. All it took was for her sister to slap her back the same way and the whole room lit up like an inferno.

"STOP! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!"

Their father had roared while yanking the two of them away from each other by the arms. Akina had a fat lip and she had given her sister a black eye by the looks of how it was starting to swell. Her father seemed to be yelling more at her then at her sibling. Akina gave her family a look of pure disgust and loathing before wrenching her arm back and yelling at them;

"I hate you all so much!! You just aren't happy with whatever I do or whatever choice I make!! I intend to marry him with or without your blessings!! You can't stop me!! I am a young woman in my twenties!! There is no law under the Hokage himself about disallowing marriages!!"

"If you walk out of this house and go to him then don't even think about coming back!! You are no longer welcome here!!"

Her mother screeched, jumping up to join her husband and younger daughter. The three of them stood together on one side of the foot-level table, Akina stood on the other. They did nothing but watch as Akina's features screwed up with tears pouring from her eyes; she then turned and fled out of the side door.

"Nobody move."

Her father held both his arms out to stop the other two women from walking after her. Her mother sighed heavily. Unhappy with not being able to change her daughter's mind and not being allowed to peruse her till she did, she sat her self down at the table again and poured herself a generous amount of sake. Presumably to drown herself with. Her husband followed almost immediately afterwards, also pouring himself a heavy amount of the clear liquid. Their daughter however simply sat down at her place. She did not move from that spot all night, there was no conversation between any of them from that point onwards. The next day, when she failed to return back to her home, Akina was disowned by her parents when they found out she was living with the alchemist.

It is said that there is a link between twins. A kind of psychological passage between the two separate minds, where they can communicate by a small source of telepathy or pick up distress signals from the other when something was wrong. Akina felt that something was wrong for the next few days as she began to settle into her new home with Kenji. But it vanished completely as soon as Kenji slipped a golden band over her marriage finger a month later. All ties with her mother, her father and her little nii-chan were severed three months later when she found she was expecting.

That was four years ago. Since that time; both the twin's parents had died, but not before seeing their youngest wed to a respectable man from down the street who made the promise to care and provide for her; for better and for worse. It helped to heal the Haruno's pride and dignity slightly. The family did hear rumours of a grandchild being born two weeks later, but there were no celebrations, no congratulations cards, and no tiny clothes being bought and sent to the house where the new Amneo family was living. There was absolutely nothing, anyone would've thought that there was no link between the two families. They didn't even want to know of the child's gender or name. There were also allegations flying around that it had been a still-birth. This was a rumour that the Haruno elders were counting on. Perhaps it was too late for Akina, but she could've at least spared any child of hers from a life in this world, and to spare her own family more shame. So when they heard nothing more about the supposed 'Amneo heir', everyone breathed a sigh of relief and started looking towards the newly weds life together.

But the Amneo heir was standing here in front of the woman now. Strong, young, breathing and healthy. A girl only a year older then her own daughter. Sakura was born just after her grandmother had died. She was two when her grandfather deserted the world as well. On those three days, Akina did not show her face, nor leave her house. Here she was now though, holding the hand of a child who was supposed to be still-born at birth. Well, her heart was proving all of the rumours wrong with every beat it took.

Her mother clutched the shawl around her tighter. "I've come to talk with you. And to allow my musume-chan to see the rest of her family before we leave."

The woman at the door suddenly turned her hard gaze upon the small child holding Akina's hand. Anna flinched and stepped back slightly. She did not like the look this woman was giving her. The woman in return looked at her as if she was something vile.

"Don't be rude Anna, say hello to your Aunt."

The girl tentatively stepped forwards again.

"Konnichiwa Oba."

She bowed her head slightly out of respect, her father had taught her well in the field of manners. Her aunt however, continued to stare at her as if she was trying to look for a fault in her. Something to prove her identity was false, that she wasn't her blood niece.

"I thought she was still-born."

The woman looked back at Akina without as much as a smile to Anna, or a greeting back. Akina did not fail to notice this, nor the tone of her sister's voice.

"So did we, but she proved us all wrong when she started screaming her little lungs out."

Akina smiled down at Anna before looking back at her sister who did not smile back. Instead she glanced between the two and moved to the side to allow them access inside. The quicker that said what they wanted, the quicker they would be gone and hopefully no-one would notice who is was that had been visiting.

"Where's your husband?" Akina asked conversationally, trying to break the ice.

Her sister stiffened and rested against the door as Akina sat Anna down on the sofa and proceeded to remove their outer wear clothes.

"Working."

"Oh."

"…"

"So I hear you have a little girl of your own now?"

"Yes."

Akina smiled and sat next to her daughter who was looking around the room with mild interest.

"What's she called?"

"Sakura Haruno."

'Named after the cherry blossoms,' Akina thought, inwardly smiling 'how sweet.' If her hair was pink, which she had a vague guess that it was, the name would suit her perfectly.

"May we see her? I'm sure Anna would like to play with her and get to know her while you and I have a chat, my dear nii-chan."

Sakura's mother did not look at all pleased at the suggestion of the two children seeing each other, let alone getting to know each other. But she had no choice if she wanted things to go any faster and without coincidence.

"I'll go get her."

She made to step into the garden through the glass doors on the other side of the room but Akina stood up and picked Anna up with her, placing her on her hip.

"Oh, if she's outside then Anna can go to her, no problem."

Akina walked and stood beside her sister who already had a hand on the door frame. Anna noticed her Aunt staring at her again and rested her head on her mother's shoulder to avoid her gaze. Akina hoisted her up a little higher.

"Ok, but be nice to her, she's a little shy. She turned three last week."

Her voice held a slight warning to it; she led them both into the garden and to a small pond where they saw a small child with pink hair throwing stones into the water.

"Sakura, honey."

Her mother gained her attention. Anna studied the girl as she lifted her head to look at them all. Her eyes were a lovely light emerald green; her skin was a pale peach and her hair, a pretty pink hue with a deeper shine then her mother's. She was defiantly a daughter of Haruno's. She wore a red jumper with the white ring on the back to mark her place within the clan. Though when she saw the two other females staring at her from behind her mother she quickly stood up and ran to hide behind her mother.

"Sweetie, this is your aunt Akina, and this is her daughter Anna. They've come to say hello."

"H-Hi."

The little girl stuttered from behind her mother's skirt. Her mother was right, she was shy. Akina placed Anna down on the floor and ushered her forward towards her a little. Anna walked right up to her, not seeing how her aunt was watching her, like she was preparing to attack her if she even said something wrong to her daughter.

"Konnichiwa Sakura-nii-chan."

Anna proudly and boldly recited to her. Sakura blushed and hid more behind her mother whose eyes flashed dangerously. How dare that child call her by a family phrase?! She was not even of the clan! In the eyes of the clan law, Anna should've bowed towards Sakura and addressed her as her superior; 'Sakura-sama'. True, the clan was not a ninja clan, nor known or as respected as the Uchiha clan or the Hyuuga clan, but it was still a clan for goodness sake! She could've at least shown Sakura the respect she deserved!

"Why don't you two get to know each other out here and we will go into the kitchen."

Akina sensed the tense atmosphere her sister was creating against her seemingly oblivious daughter. Oh lord, how she hoped Anna was being spared from the knowledge of being prejudiced against by her own aunt. Sakura's mother did not seem to want to leave her precious daughter with the Amneo heir but Akina was persistent with the idea that they get to know each other on their own. The twins left their offspring outside while they walked back into the house. Anna smiled at her little cousin, she was so cute! She was almost jealous of her pretty little looks and pure innocence. Sakura also seemed to be eyeing her with a slight trace of envy in her eyes.

"Mommy never told me that she had a sister, or that they were twins. I didn't even know I had a cousin before today."

Anna tried to warm the girl up a little by starting conversation between them. Sakura blushed and had a small smile on her face as she sank down onto the ground and tried to preoccupy herself with the pebbles on the pathway. Anna looked around the yard. It wasn't a large garden, but it wasn't small either, there were a few trees, about three in total, lots of dead bushes and a broken swing hanging from the tree's branch near the small, grey, fish-less pond.

Alright, if her little Sakura-nii-chan was only interested in the simple things, maybe she could mesmerize her with a bit of science, which would surely give them to talk about. Anna had been taught Alchemy by her father from a very early age. In the Amneo house, it held an other room that most others did not: A cellar that was turned in to a laboratory. Anna had spent most of her days down in this dark place with her father, watching him cook up compounds, write in books and draw weird looking circles all over the floor, walls and ceiling. They were transmutation circles according to her daddy, and he made pretty lights and colours appear when he touched them! At first that had been enough to satisfy the toddler's almost empty mind, but when she saw what was produced afterwards, she was extremely happy! Kenji almost always made her something through alchemy, mostly a doll of some kind, using dust and bits of cloth, maybe the odd dollop of clay or something, but it was always a Porcelain Doll with lovely long hair and a pretty little dress. Anna now had a doll for every colour of the rainbow. Her favourite however looked like her newly-found cousin. Dressed in a pure white silk kimono, the doll had lovely, emerald glass eyes with perfect creamy skin and tiny hands. Though it had purple hair, not pink.

Anna's first books were those of science and philosophy, she was mixing chemical reactions before she could even talk. By the time Anna was two, Kenji already had her performing her first transmutation! Unheard of! Her father had talked of nothing else ever since, it drove her mother mad, but made Anna's pride and feeling of glory swell endlessly at her father's attentions. She was walking within the next few weeks; her father's boundless love just seemed to grow with every progress she made. But her daddy also had strictures: she was not allowed to perform her alchemy outside of the lab and never, never without her father.

But what harm was there with her little Sakura-nii-chan? Plus Anna was only going to make some flowers for her, to pretty her up a little. Maybe a crown of Daisies or Cherry blossoms? Yes! Cherry Blossoms would go nicely with her hair. Anna smiled and offered her hand to the little thing.

"Come with me, I want to make you something."

Sakura looked at Anna-nii-chan's hand timidly before slowly reaching out her own to grasp it, and have hers grasped firmly within the warm digits. Anna was family; she could trust her, couldn't she? There was nothing bad going to happen, she was at home and her mother was in the kitchen. She was safe. Plus Anna said she was going to make her something, Sakura liked presents. She got a lot of them the other week, maybe because she had only just met her cousin she was going to give her a present for missing her birthday.

Anna led Sakura towards the deadest part of the garden. Their tiny shoes slapped upon the stone slabs of the path and the grass crunched beneath their feet as they walked over to the dead tree. Sakura looked up at it timidly. The tree in its dead state scared her a little, when it was dark and the moon shone, it made scary shadows on her walls, like claws trying to reach for her. She often ended up in her parents' bed and hid under the covers. But her cousin walked straight up to it and placed her palm flat upon it.

"Was this a Sakura tree?"

Anna looked at her and Sakura nodded slightly, trying not to look up at the gnarled branches. Anna smiled.

"Did you like it better when it was in bloom with all the flowers?"

"H-hai. But not now."

"Why not?"

"It's dead and it's scary."

Anna smiled and pulled her closer, Sakura resisted, but she was easily pulled along.

"Would you like a present from me?"

Emerald eyes looked up hopefully into shiny Amber-brown. She was going to giver her a present! Sakura liked Anna more every minute. Anna smiled and removed from her pocket a white piece of chalk. She noticed the look on Sakura's face when she saw what it was that she had pulled out. Her smile turned into a smirk as she read what was going through her mind.

"Oh, don't worry Sakura. I have something very special in mind for you."

Akina sat at the table with her sister. It had been four years ago she had sat in this very place, with her mother, father and her little sister. But it was just the twins sat at the table now, their daughters were outside. Akina blew on her green tea and looked across at her sister, who was looking anywhere but at her. She sipped on her drink before setting it down on the table, hands in her lap and head bowed. Surprisingly, it was her sister who broke the silence.

"Why did you leave?"

Ok, that wasn't expected and Akina's head snapped up at the question in shock, her sister however was mimicking the position she had just been in, and still refused to look at her. She may as well answer, after all, this may very well be the last time she saw the last of her blood relation. How very right she was.

"I couldn't live with them any more. Them and their stupid rules."

She caught a glance her way and a twitch of the mouth.

"Oh. You mean Okaa-san and Oto-san."

There it was. The 'you-mean-my-parents-not-ours-because-you-left' sentence she had been expecting all along. Akina bit her tongue.

"Yes."

Her nii-chan took her cup up to her lips again. Silence poisoned the room again. There was so much to say, and yet neither twin was willing to say anything. But time was not on Akina's side, Kenji seemed as eager to leave as he was on science, which was a lot.

"Why didn't you come to see me when I was pregnant? I could've done with some support."

Take it slow, one bite at time, nothing too big or heavy, yet.

"I thought you were happy with him."

Sakura's mother brought it back to her. She was going to be stubborn, damn it.

"I was. I mean, I am, but I would've liked some family support from you at least."

The cup was brought back to plump lips.

"Oto-san forbid it. When he heard that the infant was born dead, he said give at a few days and you'd be back. When you didn't, he said that was the last straw and no-one was even allowed to pass your house."

"But she wasn't born dead!"

"Apparently not, no."

She sounded disappointed. Akina's jaw dropped. So her parents AND her sister were only willing to accept her if her baby daughter was dead?! That was terrible! Did they really hate her husband that much that she had to pay with the blood of her child to be acknowledged by her parents again?! That was sick! There was no way these three people were grandparents and Aunty to her little Anna! Good lord, what if Anna WAS still born? Would they have made her bring the corpse to the house just to prove her death so she could be welcomed back?! Akina couldn't believe her ears! And these words were coming right out of her sister's mouth! Did……..did her sister want Anna dead as well?

Before she could express any or all the feelings that were searing through her at that moment a bright blue light, like lightning shone through the window, a sound like electricity being generated accompanied this, Akina's sister dropped her cup as she jumped to her feet, anger and terror flashing across her face.

"WHAT HAS SHE DONE?!"

She screamed and ran across the room in record time. She yanked on the door so hard she almost ripped it off. Akina was quick to follow; she knew what that noise and light meant; Anna must have performed an alchemic transmutation.

Sakura looked up at the tree, it was beautiful! Her Anna-onee-san had brought the pretty tree back to life! She didn't have time to thank Anna though, she was suddenly yanked up by a rough pair of hands and taken a few feet backwards, and Anna followed as Sakura still had hold of her hand, but it was slapped away by her mother.

"What's wrong Oba?"

"Don't you talk to me like nothing's wrong!!"

She spat at her, Anna's lip trembled and she took a few steps backward from her seething Aunt. Her nimble fingers tangled themselves in the red ribbon on her dress; Akina hurried to her side and held her shoulders.

"Okaa-san?"

Anna asked looking up into her mother's face, but Akina was staring at her sister who was holding onto Sakura like she was going to be snatched away by death it's self.

"What have you done?! You little witch?! What have you done to my Sakura?!"

Anna looked back at her in fear; what did she mean what had she done to her? She transmuted the tree back into its original glorious form as a present for Sakura because that was how she liked it best; she only had hold of Sakura's hand to keep her from running away and being scared. Sakura shifted in her mother's arms.

"Nii-chan, just calm down, I'm sure Anna didn't do anything to har—"

"Yes she did! I knew leaving these two alone together was a bad idea! Just look! Look at that tree! Look at what she has done to it!!"

Her face was red with anger. Akina looked at the tree, there was nothing wrong with it, it was a beautiful Sakura tree in blossom, nothing more.

"Nii-chan, you're over reacting. Anna didn't do anything, there's--"

"SHE PUT THAT MARK ON THE TREE!!"

Her sister screamed, making Anna cower back into her mother and Sakura started to cry. Akina looked, sure enough; there was a mark on the tree, just a small transmutation circle drawn in white chalk near the base: a crcile with several lines going through and two curving off the base line at the center of the bottom.

Akina could have laughed, but the situation was hardly amusing. She knew that her sister still viewed Alchemy as a sign of witch craft, picking Anna up and hoisting her on her hip Akina tried to lighten the mood a little by smiling. It didn't work however; her sister was having none of it.

"Calm down! It's only a small transmutation circle for plants! Anna must have done it for Sakura, didn't you honey?"

"I DON'T CARE IF IT WAS FOR THE HOKAGE HIMSELF!! THAT IS BLOODY WITCH CRAFT AND I REFUSE TO ALLOW MY DAUHTER TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF THAT - - - THAT - - LITTLE SHE-DEMON!!"

"I BEG YOUR PARDON??"

Ok, she could curse Alchemy all she wanted but she could not blame Anna for her natural talents and heritage. Akina's face turned nasty. How dare she call her daughter a demon?! Her sister sent the look back.

"I'm warning you! You keep her away from me and my family! You are never allowed to come here with or without her again!!"

Sakura found her voice, but it was quiet; "Okaa-san, Anna was just giving me - -"

"I don't care! You are never to see her again!"

Shooting one last death glare at Anna, Sakura's mother turned and carried her inside, Sakura caught Anna's eyes through her tears; her mother was also walking away with Anna in her arms.

"Bye." Anna waved sadly before hugging her mother as much as her young body would do and resting her head on her shoulder.

"Bye." Sakura whispered back before the door slammed behind her, cutting her last vision of her cousin off forever. A month later the Amneo family left Konoha without saying good-bye to anyone. The tree that Anna had transmuted was still in bloom; Sakura's parents set it alight several times and burned it all down as well as Akina's shawl with the Haruno clan's symbol two days after.

But they never found Anna's coat. Sakura hid it under a loose floorboard in her bedroom.

Twelve years later

"Naruto?"

Sakura had just finished her shift at the hospital to find her blond team-mate standing outside, waiting for her. The sun shone down on him, highlighting his blond hair and blue eyes.

"Sakura-chaaaan!" He grinned, rubbing the back of his head.

Sakura smiled.

"Why are you here, Naruto? I thought you had training to do."

Sakura walked and Naruto fell into step beside her.

"Nah, Sai's being an ass again and I got told that Tsunade-baa-chan wants to see us."

Sakura raised a brow.

"Really? Do you know why?"

Naruto grinned and spread his arms wide; "Nope! But I hope it's a new mission! We haven't had one for like FOREVER!!"

Sakura couldn't help but smile again, and yes, she was hoping it was a mission too. The hospital work was brisk and intense but lacked any sort of adrenaline rush that a ninja got from being on the battlefield.

Ever since Naruto had come back from his training, both Sakura and Naruto had gotten closer in the time they spent together. Since finding out about Naruto being the container for the Kyuubi, Sakura had become very protective of him, and Naruto revelled in the new attention he was getting from her.

She had been on more play dates with him then he could ever have hoped, and he loved it. It was not something he had had the pleasure of experiencing before (people who actually cared for him) and he was more then eager to keep the fact that there was at least _one_ person in the world who actually cared alive and thriving.

Knowing Naruto he was feeling the same lack of adrenaline, but at least fifty times more. Good lord, the boy lived and breathed adrenaline! How he could go this long without nagging the Hokage for anything above a B-ranked mission was beyond her. They walked towards the Hokage tower each hoping, wishing, guessing, what sort of mission they had in store for them. The wishing part revolved around the unspoken and forbidden word between the blond and the pink-haired shinobi: Sasuke.

Several attempts at missions based upon rumours had been issued to them but that was all they turned out to be in the end; rumours. Both Naruto and Sakura had been on every mission which had his name attached to it and each time had returned disappointed. Naruto covered it up with the whole "I feel like the two of us are getting closer to Sasuke!" line, but every time they walked back through Konoha's gates empty handed, Sakura couldn't help but wonder how much further he was getting away from them. There had been no more reports on him for a few weeks now.

Tsunade was sat at her desk as usual when they both entered; she stopped reading a report and looked up at them both with beautiful, glossy brown eyes. She'd probably had a couple of sake bottles while Shizune wasn't in the room.

"Sakura, how much do you know of your family ties?"

She asked right as they bowed to her. Sakura looked puzzled, as did Naruto. That was a bit abrupt.

"Um…..just my mother and father as far as I know. My grandparents died when I was young."

"Right." Godaime Hokage picked up another document. "Has your mother ever mentioned having a sister at all?"

"Huh?" Now Sakura was really confused, Tsunade took in her look.

"I guess not. Well Sakura, it is my duty to inform you that your mother had a sister, a twin."

"Oh….Ok….." What else could she say? Her mother never mentioned it.

"And I have spoken to your mother about this but she has made it perfectly clear that she wants nothing to do with it."

The Hokage looked to the side, clenching her fists, eyes narrowing. Naruto and Sakura glanced at each other and waited for her to clarify, what could have the Hokage wound up and angry over this much?

….Well there were a few things, mainly Naruto or Jiraiya but nothing that seemed to come from Sakura's side, least of all her family matters. Godaime sighed, closed her eyes and maintained a softer, calmer composure. Opening her eyes she placed her hands in front of her face again.

"I have summoned you here today to inform you that you did have an Aunt until about eight years ago. As your mother did not want to know about it, all information was withheld until you came of age to hear about it. Your Aunt I am afraid to say; died in child birth."

"……that's terrible." Sakura cast her eyes down in sorrow about the Aunt she never knew, who was now apparently dead and felt sudden anger about how her mother never spoke of her twin.

Naruto became impatient, as usual. "So what's a dead lady gotta do with our mission?"

"NARUTO!!" Tsunade yelled at him and pointed to Sakura with her eyes. He cowered back from the desk and looked sheepishly at Sakura after realising what slipped out of his mouth.

"Hehehe, sorry Sakura-chan, but I don't understand."

"Actually Naruto," Sakura looked up at them both again, "I don't either. If my aunt died eight years ago why is a mission coming up now? And why would my mother not say she had a sister?"

Tsunade leaned back into her chair, hands now folded under her large chest.

"As I said before, your mother did not want to know and you were not of age but as you are now, I feel that as your master I must tell you, that you Sakura Haruno have a cousin, two of them infact. You have also been requested by a certain Amneo to escort them to Konoha safely. The only thing I can assume is that these are your Aunt's children who survived birth when their mother did not. What is even more surprising is that they have asked to set up home in Konoha."

"Really?"

"Really. They have requested that you and a team of yours go to Tea Country and bring them back here safely."

"EHHHH?! All the way in Tea Country?!" Naruto yelled.

"Got a problem with that?!" Godaime rounded on him, her eyes in slits. "I thought you wanted a mission Naruto?!"

"Nope, no problem!" Naruto gave her a false salute but failed to keep the visibility of his trembling to a minimum.

"Good," Tsunade smiled slightly and sank further into her chair. "You and your team will leave in one hour. And Sakura,"

Sakura snapped out of the daze she suddenly realised she was in. "I feel I need to remind you that this is part of your ninja career so you are not liable to discuss it with either your mother or your father, even if it does involve their sister and her children."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama."

"Dismissed."

Naruto and Sakura both turned and left. Once outside, Naruto jumped for joy, punching the air with his fist, barley missing Shizune who walked in.

"Whoooohooooo!! A new mission!! FINALLY!! First chance I get, am knocking someone's lights out!"

He looked ready to run all the way to Tea, but his composure dropped when he noticed Sakura was lagging behind him, her head bowed and face covered by her soft, pink bangs. He sobered up a little and dropped the smile.

"What's wrong Sakura-chan?"

Sakura looked up, her eyes glassy with unfallen tears.

"I….I'm not sure Naruto. I don't know whether I'm upset over a part of my family I didn't even know about, or angry at my mother and father for not telling me that I had an aunt. I'm just a little confused at the minute, I mean, why? Why would they not want anything to do with her?"

Naruto couldn't answer that, he didn't have any family to compare it with. So, instead, he braved himself closer and hesitantly took gentle hold of her hand. He was surprised when she returned the gesture and squeezed it slightly, he had after all, been expecting her move away as soon as his fingers touched her palm, which she had done before today, but now it seemed she wanted him to touch her, and who was he to deny her?

"Arigato, Naruto."

"Your welcome. I can't say I understand, Sakura-chan. But I can try to help, you know. If you want me to."

She gave him a small smile, and (not letting go of his hand he noticed) set off towards their homes. She held his hand quietly through the rest of the journey and he received a small hug when they had to part. He walked towards his apartment with the most sincere smile he had ever had on his face the rest of the way, the trip to Tea looking brighter then usual.

In the opposite direction, Sakura held the hand Naruto had held with her other one and also had a smile on her face, remembering the warmth of Naruto's hand on hers but it vanished quickly when she found herself in her kitchen, her mother at the sink with her back towards her.

Anger bubbled beneath her skin. How innocent her mother looked now and yet at the same time vile, full of nasty little secrets she had never batted an eyelash thinking about, or sharing with her daughter.

She hadn't noticed her yet, but Sakura wanted to kick and scream and shout right there and then, demand the answers from her mother about not saying she had more family she didn't know about and why she had kept the other members of her family as a mere afterthought in her own head. The Godaime's words however, rang in her ears. And, accepting mental defeat, plump, pink lips opened slowly.

"Okaa-san."

Was that really her voice? It sounded so dull, un-life like. The woman with darker pink hair turned round, shaking her hands free of soapy water.

"Ah, Sakura, honey."

She smiled, her dark green eyes twinkling and wiped her hands dry on her floral-yellow apron. There were red rings around her eyes, had she been crying? Sakura would be dammed at this moment if she consoled her. But she was dying to know if it had a connection to her Aunt, the sister her mother never said she had. There was a strong link about them; Godaime had said she had had words with Sakura's mother.

"I've been assigned a mission."

Her mother's head snapped up almost alarmingly.

"It's not in Tea country is it?"

Her eyes widened in fear almost as Sakura's eyes flashed. This was _so_ connected to her Aunt. She wanted desperately to say yes, her hands were now clenching and unclenching at her sides, her mouth was opening and closing of its own accord. But Tsunade's angry face flashed in her mind and sent an almost painful surge through her, causing the pent up emotions to start draining down a hole she couldn't seal up.

"Sakura? Please tell me it's not."

Her mother reached out towards her with her pale soft hand, but Sakura recoiled as if her touch would sear through her now sensitive skin.

"N-no…no, it's not. A-and that's all I am allowed to say."

She managed to choke out. Her mother, with her hair in a messy side ponytail and wide green eyes, looked at her suspiciously.

"Honey, I'm your mother, you can tell me."

_What, so she could tell her not to go? Or speak with the Hokage on the matter like she threatened to do when she found out who exactly it was who made up Sakura's team in her genin days? Ha!_ Well that would certainly start off the fight Sakura was now desperate to kick off, but she was not liable, plus she would only feel guilty about it later.

And she preferred to go off on long missions with her mother's good will still in place for when she got home so she could be smothered with the motherly love she was still so privileged to have. Unlike her teammates.

Lying to her parents about her missions and telling them she was not allowed to discuss anything with them was what she was expected to do as a ninja, what all ninja's were supposed to do, even if vital information could be gained from their families.

However, this was really rubbing her up the wrong way and ruffling her feathers big time. Lying to her mother right now to avoid the scrap she wanted was seemingly more painful then some of the genjutsu's she'd been put in a few times, not just by enemy-nin either.

"No….mother, it's not. But it will be a long one."

She ground out the words so hard she heard her jaw click. Her mother rubbed both her hands up and down her shoulders while nodding, not ignoring the way her daughter was shuddering unpleasantly beneath her fingertips.

She was no longer looking at her face and her eyes were now glistening, she was going to cry again. But Sakura felt no remorse, she felt ill at the mere sight of the woman in front of her. The lying, deceitful…...

"I need to pack."

She jerked herself free and stormed upstairs without once looking back. Only a quick "Hi daddy," was all she said to her father as he walked in the front door from work. The rest of the hour she had was spent packing the necessities she needed and small amounts of food. She considered jumping out of her window and leaving that way out of spite, but she might as well let them know she was off.

Out on the landing she stopped when she heard a sniffle, coming from her mother's room? Oh great! So now she was crying again. Sakura stomped over to the door and was ready to barge in when she caught sight of her mother, again from behind, but what she saw made her annoyance ebb away quickly.

Her mother was on her bedroom floor next to her double bed and dresser, rocking herself slowly, and holding onto something whilst trying not to explode with tears. Quietly, or rather, using her mother's attempts not to brawl, Sakura managed to get the door open about another inch or so, so she could see the full picture. He mother had one arm wrapped round her torso as if in pain, her face was blotchy and puffy in the mirror and she was holding onto something small, glass looking.

It was a picture frame, but Sakura couldn't make out the picture from the distance she was at. Her mother kept shooting glances at it then turning her face away as if the picture was something she'd rather not look at.

"D……de……..ded……..How…….can…….be ….._dead_?!"

Her mother doubled over and clutched the picture frame to her heart. Releasing one last, loud sob, her head rose and looked into the mirror. Sakura had retreated before he mother could spot her. What she saw had just confused her even more, Tsunade said that her mother wanted nothing to do with the family she was about to meet on this mission but the way she had just acted now….did she actually care about them? Sakura kept herself hidden behind the bathroom door and watched her mother come out of her room whilst wiping her newly tear-soaked eyes and smudged make-up off her face, she left her door open as she almost hobbled down the hall and down the stairs. Sakura made her move. Opening the door to her parent's bedroom made a sudden rush of powerful emotions hit her in the stomach and made butterflies breed like mad inside of her. The picture frame her mother was holding was not on her dresser. Quietly, Sakura checked all the draws and underneath her mother's pillow for that glass object but found nothing.

"Crap, now I'm late." She said irritably, in her haste, she spun round and walked straight into something small and hard. Then ended up falling flat on her face.

"Whaaaa—Oof!"

Good thing her mother had a soft carpet in her room, but what the hell had she tripped over?! Looking behind her and getting ready to turn the offensive item into a pile of rubbish she pushed herself up and sat up. Her right foot was in her mother's waste bin. God, she could be such a klutz sometimes. She attempted to kick it off as her temper flared but stopped when she felt something smooth and cold on the bottom of her foot. Reaching over, she took her foot out of the bin and peered inside. There, peeping cheekily back at her underneath a load of scrunched tissues, was the picture frame.

Gently and quietly Sakura picked the small picture frame out, brushing the debris from it in the process. The photo frame was new, polished and silver; the picture in it was old and brown, probably taken from before she was born. The photograph held two women, sitting on a swing in an open garden, one looking at the camera, the other at the woman sat next to her. It took Sakura a few seconds to realise she was looking at her mother and her Aunt. Her mother was looking at her sister and they both had smiles on their faces. They couldn't have been older then eighteen. The swing they were on was the broken one out in the back garden. Her mother had refused to let her husband fix it, but neither would she let him take it down either. Sakura had always wondered why her mother never wanted it doing, now she knew, it was a reminder. An old artefact from the past, when her mother had been a happy sibling, when she and her older twin could smile with the love and approval of each other and their parents. What had gone wrong then? Looking at the picture in her hands then at situation Sakura herself was in now……..something terrible must have happened, not only for her mother to not tell her she had an Aunty, who had been her twin and was now dead, but also because she wanted nothing to do with her sisters children?

What was so bad? What had she done? To have her mother try to erase her older sister so much out of her life that she was willing to try to sabotage the mission Sakura was going on as soon as she heard a message on the wind about it? What sins had her Aunt committed that were so terrible? This only filled Sakura with more determination to bring her cousins to Konoha. If they wanted to set up home here, then that meant that Sakura and her parents were possibly the last family these children had. Tsunade had made no mention of the father so he was presumably out of the picture for a while now, that left the children to fend for themselves. She could also guess that they were not any type of Ninja, if they were Ninja then this need would not have orison, but since they were coming here, then they obviously needed help. Sakura was now even more motivated to found out exactly what had happened in the Haruno clan to have it split into two groups; Sakura with her parents and grand parents, her aunt with her two children and her husband.

The photo-frame was placed back in the bin.

Sakura left her parents room the way she had found it, with one small exception. The silver frame held no picture. Her parents were in the middle of dinner when she made her excuses not to join and left with only a small bye to them. Sakura was sure that her mother had either bent her father round her little finger about this whole issue or she hadn't told him. Either way he was where her mother wanted him; obedient and unquestioning. Sakura refused to be either. She had a new family who needed her and she would not leave them stranded, no matter what had occurred between the older women in the days before she or even they were born. She would do her duty as both a ninja and a family member, no matter what.


	2. Chapter 2

Authors Note: First off; hi! And thank you to all those who have commented and Reviewed: I LOVE YOU! I am aware I have posted the same chapter twice and I promise I will try not to do that again in the future but for now, all you lovely readers out there, please bear with me as I am new and this is my first ever story and I haven't got a clue how to work anything. I am actually surprised I managed to post my story anyway, lol. Thank you :)

I OWN NOTHING!!!!!

Tsunade sighed, this was boring and irritating at the same time. The council's elders had summoned her straight away as soon as they got wind of who it was team 7 going was going to Tea for. Oh, how she wished she was back at her desk, sipping on sake….

"Tsunade," one of the elders started "You are aware of who exactly you are asking us to permit in to our village aren't you?"

"Yes." Tsunade almost snapped back, irritation seeping into the word.

"Then you understand our cause for concern?"

Another elder quipped. Tsunade turned her eye towards him.

"Concern? Concern for what? If anything, the arrivals may prove beneficial for the village."

"Beneficial?" A third almost chocked on what seemed to be laughter.

"You're not serious? D you not remember what did the father did? If you don't, it was he who Orochimaru got his hidden labs off, possibly even some of the research its self! Why would we allow the offspring of that man into the village when he was a suspect in one of the most terrible crimes in the village?!"

Oh, Tsunade remembered alright. She remembered the man; tall, dark haired, glasses, big, bulky-muscled body wrapped in a black over-coat. Cold poster, but not to offend, merely to protect himself, like a child with a very sharp kunai left to fend for itself.

What he saw as strength, was actually his weakness. He was like a mouse in his own skin almost. Able to defend but unwilling to get into any trouble, or show any strength.

Him she could defiantly remember. She had left the village by the time his supposed labs had gone to another pair of hands, but news like that travelled far and wide, news of those terrible hidden labs which human experiments were conducted, hidden away in the deepest parts of Konoha only to be found with the culprit standing in the middle of it all red handed. Literally. Orochimaru may well have gotten his hide-out, possibly even the notes off the Amneo.

But the large Amneo male was long gone before that, after the Kyuubi attacked. He'd moved his wife and daughter out to the country, in a smaller village and had not bothered Konoha since. Orochimaru however, had been pestering him since he had stepped through the gates that first day. He'd only backed off when the Third stepped in.

But that did not mean the old fogies could deny his children accesses to the last part of family they had, maybe even a second home, a life.

"The children should and _will not_ be held responsible for the actions of their father," Tsunade started, her voiced whipped across them all, "they have requested a fresh start here in Konoha with the remaining family which I am happy to oblige them. Whether you like it or not."

She added just to show her authority.

"You cannot be serious?!"

Inspiration struck and Tsunade smirked. To add one last dose of spite, the Fifth turned around.

"Believe it."

With that, she slammed the door behind her, leaving the Elders blinking at a solid wall of wood and her farewell ringing in their ears.

"Believe it!"

The looks on the scandalized elders faces was priceless. It was good to be Hokage.

~~Elsewhere~~

The trip to Tea wasn't exactly pleasant. Yes it was getting close to winter but did it have to rain so bloody much?! Not only did all of them get soaked while hopping from tree to tree, but the ground was muddy and uncomfortable to sleep on too. Not to mention how cold it was with the wind.

Naruto whined as usual, Sai kept annoying Sakura who threatened to re-shape the landscape with his body if he didn't quit and Kakashi just prodded them all in the ribs to keep going till it got so dark they couldn't see their own noses.

The sleeping bags they had quickly got damp no matter where they found shelter and caked over with mud and leaves. Any rations they had had to be eaten quickly or thrown away, lest the rain make them inedible.

Ok, screw unpleasant. It was fucking horrible!

By the second day it had not stopped raining at all and every last bit of dry anyone had was wet and humid. People's tempers and patience started to wear thin, if they didn't reach Tea soon they were all going to die of pneumonia if they didn't kill each other first.

Sai picked on Sakura which caused Naruto to go for him, Sakura had a go at Naruto for getting into her business then hit Sai anyway when he made a remark about Sakura being so ugly she'd need the Hokage to defend her case. Kakashi had the tendency to stay out of it, but even he was feeling the strain. Why couldn't Yamato be there? He could've made a house for them to all dry off and get some proper sleep. Or tie them all up. Separately.

Four hours max in two days was all they had managed to get of sleep, Sakura had made it quite clear that when they got to Tea, they were not leaving with her cousins until they were all properly bathed, had a decent meal and all items of clothing was dry again.

That and plus she refused to travel with boys who, constantly soaked in rain, started to smell of their efforts to make it to Tea quickly.

When the trees thinned out and they did reach the boarders of a village, everyone sighed in relief. Typically, it was still raining but a chance at a dry warm house and a hot meal made them move.

The cobble stone floors actually felt good against their squishy sandals, it was firm, unlike the mud and unsteady tree roots they'd been stumbling on earlier. The village they'd wandered into was large, but expensive looking. All the houses seemed to be made out of the same type of rose-wood and made in the same way. They looked more like Okiya's and tea-houses then a community village.

Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be just that. Electric lights outside to guide guests, music drifting in and out from radios and from women themselves swam all around their heads, wooden door opening and closing to let men women and even Geisha in silk kimonos' go through. They'd only past three buildings when Naruto piped up;

"Are we in the right village Kakashi-sensei?"

"Of course, would I ever lead you wrong?" he joked to them all without turning round.

"That's what you said yesterday." Sakura grumbled.

No matter how much they had tried to hurry, they had almost ended up a day late. As far as the base of the hills in the distance, all they could see was the roof-tops of houses, this village was huge!

Soon they entered the heart of the city which was almost as big as Konoha in comparison, there was a buzz of excitement in the air as everything settled around them, and the houses started to become packed together so they had to be close now. The rain was starting to dry up slightly aswell, but it was still cold.

"Outta the way!"

A man suddenly called out to them. It was a short, thin, tanned man with a straw hat on his head pulling a rickshaw. He was running at them very fast for someone who looked like a twig, but that was what gave him the edge as any ninja would know.

The four of them stepped up closer to the walls to allow him to pass. It was a brief second, but Sakura then caught the sight of the passenger in the Rickshaw and her mouth fell open.

There sat an extremely beautiful teenage girl wearing the loveliest kimono that she'd never seen in the shops in Konoha.

It was a deep maroon, almost a dark purple with emerald vines running from the top to the bottom. Sakura had no doubt that the gown was made out of pure silk, as was the obi possibly, which was silver.

It wasn't only her clothing that was the most eye catching thing about her; it was her youth, her rich white face, her ruby red lips and hair that matched. Nearly all Geisha they had encountered had black hair or dark brown and were in their early twenties at least, unless they were Miko, but hers was liquid fire red.

It was tied up in lobes and for decoration had ornaments carved out of sliver and jade. The silver strips dangled, shimmering in the street light as she rocked with the cart. It was then she looked up from her folded white hands in her lap to stare Sakura right in the eyes.

The Emerald of Sakura's eyes clashed with dark hazel brown just as the jade in the girl's hair clashed with the redness of it. Her expression did not change but she did not look away from Sakura even as the cart pulled right past them and down the alleyway.

"Wow."

It startled Sakura to hear someone speak after her eyes had jus feasted on the sight before her.

"Shall we get going then?"

Kakashi set off forward, notably the way the Geisha had travelled down. Naruto leaned towards Sakura.

"Nee—Sakura-Chan? Do you think you're cousins might be Geisha?"

Sai spoke before she could.

"Kami I hope not, I mean its bad enough we have to have Ugly part two and three come back to Konoha with us, but to have them paraded around like that, jeeze, there'll be no more beauty in Konoha left!"

Sakura gave him such a wallop on the head he fell face first into the street, much to the amusement of Naruto.

"Hahahaha! Hey, you should say stuff like that more often Sai!"

He had meant it so that Sai would get hit for it more, but he thought better then to justify it when he landed face down in the dirt next to him with an equally large bump on his head.

"Let's just get there first, shall we?"

Sakura half growled at them as she stalked off after her sensei. Both the boys were nursing bloody noses the rest of the trip to the house.

The rain had completely stopped when they reached what was presumed to be the right house. Kakashi knocked lightly on the door frame and a maid in a powder blue cotton kimono appeared after a short wait.

She was very old, with wiry grey hair and black beetle like eyes, she was shorter then Kakashi and had to crane her neck up to look at him.

"Konoha, huh?"

She spoke in a heavy accented old voice. She then peered around him to glance at the others.

"Follow me."

Turning on he heal, she quickly scurried through numerous doors and corridors before leaving them in a small room and telling them to wait.

The tea was already set for them and still hot when they sat down around the table. It was good to get it into their systems and warmed them up almost instantly.

"I'm excited now, and kind of nervous."

Sakura admitted after she took her cloak off to get more comfortable.

"Don't worry," a dry cracked voice made them all jump as the door opened to reveal an elderly woman dressed in another expensive kimono.

It was not the same woman who had admitted entrance to them; this one was defiantly in her late forties, early fifties at the most. Her hair had already gone gray and the skin on her face looked like it was hanging off almost.

"She'll be here soon."

The woman stated as she sat down next to Sai. She made no immediate introductions, simply sat down and took out a smoking pipe.

"She? Pardon me ma'am, but I was told I have two cousins."

Sakura addressed the woman, who lit up the cigarette at the end of the pipe and took a long drag.

"So you're Haruno huh?"

The woman ignored her question.

"Not as pretty as I would've liked, but I suppose years of being a ninja will drag you down a bit."

Sakura's mouth fell open, but she closed it and slammed her fist into Naruto's side to stop him retorting.

Kakashi took queue to quell the negative energy floating round the room.

"Excuse me ma'am, my name is Hatake Kakashi, might I enquire as to who you are?"

The woman blew out a thick fog of smoke.

"Everyone calls me Aunty, so shall you."

It was a statement, not a question. Sakura felt her annoyance and frustration bubble up. She was not a very nice lady.

"Very well, This is Haruno Sakura, Uzamaki Naruto and Sai, the members of my cell."

The woman called Aunty looked around them all with beady, black eyes.

"And only one of you is of relation, correct?"

"That's correct, that's me."

Sakura tried smiling but it seemed to brake under the woman's piercing gaze. She didn't smile back or make any effort to be nicer to them.

"Fine. She will be along in a minute. I want you to meet the boys first."

Boy-s? As in plural?

"KIKO!"

Aunty raspily called through the door, making them all jump again and look around.

The shoji door slid open and another old woman on a walking stick in a blue cotton kimono limped in, followed by two young boys.

They both had short, flaming red hair. The elder of the two looked about ten at the most and his ends flicked out. The younger was barely six, if that. His hair hung down like curtains but stopped below his ears and was a tad dull.

Unlike the women, they were not wearing kimonos; they were dressed casually, but looked terrified as they quickly checked out the company. They immediately went and stood next to the woman in blue, eyes averted to the floor.

"Amneo William, the eldest boy."

Aunty waved a hand towards him and he stepped forward, eyes still down.

"Konnichiwa, watashi no namae wa William."

He stepped back into place not looking at any of them. Not even when they all said hello back and nodded their heads.

"Amneo Jason, the youngest."

Aunty waved her hand again and, like his brother, the younger boy stepped forward, not looking at any of them.

"Ko--Konnichiwa, wata…watashi no nn..namae wa Jas---Jas----J--"

He stopped and took a breath. It almost looked like he was finding it hard to speak.

"Jason." He managed at last.

He quickly turned and ran back to his place.

Aunty glared at them all.

"Do not ask about the absurdity of their names. Their father travelled a lot and picked their names up from some other country outside of Japan. I have tried to have them converted, but their sister won't let me."

She snapped sounding almost appalled. Sakura leaned forward, confused.

"Excuse me ma----- Aunty," She quickly corrected after Aunty turn her hard eyes on her, "I believe there has been a mistake, I was told I only have two cousins."

"Then you were misinformed, obviously." She blew smoke at her.

"Anna is the eldest of the three, and my prize."

For the first time, she smiled; nastily, showing yellowed teeth beneath chapped lips.

"Couldn't have asked for a better deal when their father dumped her on me. Although taking these two on as well did complicate things a bit, especially since his wife died, Jason was so young. Hours old if I remember correctly."

Aunty saw how Sakura's head perked up at this.

"That's right, your Aunt is dead. Didn't you know? Didn't your own mother tell you?"

"No, Ma'am. She didn't."

"Strange. Not telling you that her own twin sister was dead."

Sakura kept her mouth shut. She did not want to discuss this in front of her team and new cousins. Not with the way the boys were looking at her.

Naruto spoke up to help take some pressure off.

"Are we going to meet Anna, or is it just the boys?"

Aunty surveyed him up and down. He gulped, she was almost as scary as Baa-cha, perhaps scarier, since he did not know any strength she may/may not have had.

"Haruno is. You lot aren't."

She got up and snubbed her almost dead cigarette end into the table before disappearing out the door, leaving it wide open.

"Gentlemen." The other old woman stepped forward, speaking for the first time.

"I beg your pardon at Auntie's manners towards you. She has not the best opinion of Ninja."

"Kinda figured!"

Naruto stretched, he felt like he'd been unable to move throughout that whole ordeal, like if he even breathed wrong, that dragon of a woman would've ripped him to shreds. Kakashi and Sai followed suit. They too had been tense throughout.

The young red haired boys also relaxed and approached the table.

"Are you really all proper Ninja then?"

William asked, he sounded almost mesmerised by all of them. Naruto immediately took a liking to him.

"You bettcha kid! That's what the headband stands for!"

He flashed it at him and Will's smile spread to twice it's size on his face.

"Wow, I've always wanted to meet real Ninja, I have so many questions!"

Aunty must really scare them all if he was cowering in her presence then being a boystras boy in front of them alone.

Jason however, still seemed timid; he was looking at them all with shy curiosity.

"Pleasure to meet you, little man."

Kakashi leaned forward and held out a hand to the boy who stared at the limb like it was poison, before carefully (keeping hi eyes on Kakashi) reaching out and placing his tiny hand directly on Kakashi's palm and shaking it.

Sai looked bored with the whole thing. Out of all of them he seemed to be the only one unaffected by it all, although Sakura had seen him sweat when Aunty had looked at him. He made considerable effort not to talk or draw attention to himself.

William looked to Sakura.

"Are you really our cousin then? Or is it just a ruse to get other Ninja off our backs?"

He asked. Jason looked at her with big round eyes, like he was daring himself to hope that that was untrue.

"Nope, I really am. Our mothers were twins."

Sakura smiled at them both. It was half an hour later she found herself finishing her tea off alone. Kiko had ushered all the boys out, presumably to take them to the house they would all be staying in for the night.

That Aunty woman was a right meanie, for choice of a better word. Her hostility towards them all had really unnerved her. Kiko had apologized to them all and tried to tell them she meant no real ill will towards them, but something told them all that wasn't the case.

It raised a few questions about Anna as well. Why would Aunty only let Sakura meet her? The boys seemed nice enough, or was Anna like Aunty?

Kami, Sakura hoped not.

The shoji door opened slowly and Sakura sat up straight. She felt her jaw drop slightly as the girl from earlier in the deep maroon kimono quietly walked in, shut the door gently and took a seat opposite her.

It was defiantly the girl from earlier. Everything was the same as before, the hair, the eyes, the jewels, everything. Her Hair mostly affirmed that this was the elder sister; flaming red.

She bowed her head and spoke softly.

"Konnichiwa Sakura-chan. Watashi no namae wa Amneo Anna. I hope Auntie's attitude towards you did not put you off meeting me."


	3. Chapter 3

--------------------------Authors Note: Thank you to all those who have commented and reviewed: I LOVE YOU! I OWN NOTHING!!!!!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura was absolutely captivated. Anna was beautiful. And not just because she was dressed up like a doll. She was just generally gorgeous! Her brown eyes were what drew you in first before you saw the rest of her. Sakura felt herself esteem drop as she compared herself to her new female relative.

Anna was red where Sakura was pink, sassy where Sakura was innocent and curvy where Sakura was slim. She wasn't being pervy but Sakura found herself staring at Anna's breasts.

With Tsunade-sama, Sakura could comfort herself by telling herself that she had never seen anyone other then the Hokage herself with those melon sized boobs, but looking at Anna's voluptuous cleavage under her kimono, Sakura felt like her chest was shrinking considerably.

Jealous did not even come near to what she feeling. They really needed to invent another word for it. Hinata (thank Kami) was too shy to show her gifted form off, but didn't stop Sakura from grumbling about it behind her back.

"I hope Auntie's manners towards you did not put you off meeting me."

Sakura snapped her mouth shut and forced herself to look into Anna's eyes. _'Focus here Sakura! Focus! Barely five minutes in and already you're cursing your genes for being on the wrong side of the family!'_

Anna was looking at Sakura apologetically. This made her want to cry, as a face like that should never have to be destroyed by the look of sorrow.

"Oh…..no. It's---It's fine, It's ok, Kiko-san already told us that she doesn't like Ninja, we're all ok with it, I mean, we've had worse, believe me."

She painfully cracked a smile and tried waving it off. Fortunately, Anna's face lit up and showed perfect, straight, pearl-white teeth.

"Oh thank god!"

She laughed, ducking her head, much to Sakura's bewilderment. The many jewels in her hair bouncing and shimmering under the light. Anna looked back up, more relaxed and better composed.

"Yeah, she's just a bitch in general. Good accountant though."

At Sakura's surprised look, Anna slanted her head, giving her a half lidded, lazy look with a kinky smirk, which made a faint hint of head spread across her features.

"Don't worry, I'm not stuck up or anything like her. I'm the one out of my brothers and myself who gets on her bad side the most, not by accident of course."

She giggled and Sakura found herself giggling too. She was a bit taken aback by Anna's upfront and honestly, but it immediately made her feel at ease with her eldest cousin.

"Kiko is our maid; sweet as sugar and Aunty is our main head/accountant if you will. And a total bitch. We've been with them since I was ten, when my mother died and my father decided to dump us all on them. Did you know about your Aunt at all?"

Sakura's smile faulted.

"I'm afraid I didn't until recently. My mother didn't see that it was necessary to tell me that I had another family."

She stroked her cup with both hands, eyes down in shame and sorrow. Anna reached across for the teapot and filled her cup up, then her own empty one.

"What happened to your mother exactly?"

She asked quietly. If Anna didn't want to say that was fine, but Sakura wanted some detail for some of the hazy parts of her family life. The anger in her long forgotten, replaced with a desperate need for knowledge.

Anna set the teapot down, a solemn look now on her face.

"I was only ten; my mother was pregnant with my younger brother when she went in to early labour. Will and I came home to find her bleeding heavily on the kitchen floor. I couldn't find my father anywhere; he never seemed to be home for long. I told William to stay with her and keep her warm whilst I ran for help."

She took a sip of tea, eyes downcast.

"I had to run about a mile to the doctors in town. By the time I got him there, she'd lost a lot of blood and the baby was distressed. I remember the house was swarming by then, Will had run out crying and people had come to investigate. It was like all the adults had come in to our house to help, at least that's what I thought at time, but really they were just moving her to her bed and keeping me and Will out of the way."

That awful look of sadness was back.

"It took hours; I managed to slip away unnoticed for a bit. I thought I'd find my father in the house by now, so I went upstairs and heard my mother crying. The door was open slightly and I peeped in. I saw my brother being delivered by the doctor, he was covered in blood and so was the bed she was lying on. I knew something was wrong. He wasn't crying right way like Will had done and my mother sounded more tired then usual. When one of the assistants finally noticed me, they dragged me away."

"I'm sorry."

Sakura whispered. Anna shook her head.

"That wasn't the worst part. Since they couldn't find my father, they let me see my mother in her last hours. She died in my arms."

_The doctor took the young, ten year old Anna by the hand and led her back up the stairs, towards her mother's room. Anna almost didn't want to go in, something was wrong, something was really bad. Everyone downstairs was looking sad and making a fuss of William. They'd all held her back when the assistant brought her back down and left her with them._

_The doctor pushed open the door to her parent's room, Anna looked around expectantly for her father, but it was only several assistants who had accompanied the doctor that were in there._

_Her mother was still in bed, covered by her sheets. She looked whiter then the doctor's uniform. Her eyes were closed and she was sweating, mouth open to let out hollow sounding breaths. A slight babble from the other side of the room made Anna turn sharply around. A third assistant was leaning over the crib that was once William's, before he moved into his 'big boy bed'._

_Anna stared nastily at it. That thing inside it had made her oka-san ill. She didn't have time to form a complete grudge when her mother opened her eyes slightly and reached out for her._

"_Honey, can you come up here with me, mummy's very tired."_

_Anna let go of the man's hand and climbed up onto the bed with her mother. She settled down by her side and cuddled up to her, hugging her tightly._

"_Sweetheart,"_

_Akina wrapped her arms around Anna and held her tightly as well. Her arms were cold and wet._

"_Can you be a big girl and look after your brothers for me?"_

_So she had another little brother. Great. Anna missed how her mother's eyes were going blank and unfocused._

"_Why? You and oto-san can look after them, can't you?"_

_Akina smiled and coughed a little. Anna was feeling scared for some reason as she watched her mother._

"_Mummy's very tired right now……… and no-one can find your father at the moment, so I need you to be a brave girl and look after…….after both your brothers for me………. till he gets back, ok? Can you do that…..for me?"_

_Anna frowned, and leaned up on her elbow._

"…_..Ok oka-san, but JUST till he gets back and you're all better, ok?"_

_Akina chuckled weakly, her strength fading and eyes closing._

"_That's my….. girl…….th…at's my…..Anna-ch…an…."_

_She felt limp in Anna's arms. Confused, she sat up and looked at her mother. She wasn't moving. Anna panicked and looked to the other adults in the room; they all had their heads bowed, not one of them looked at her._

_She tried shaking her slightly. Nothing. It was a few more seconds till Anna noticed her mother wasn't breathing._

_No…no….no…no, no, no, no, no, NO!!!!!!_

"_Oka-san?.....Oka-san…Oka-san….Oka-san! OKA-SAN!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOO, OOOOOKKKAAASSAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

_She screamed and screamed and screamed till her throat was raw. Eventually, the doctor lifted her out of her mother's dead, cold arms and carried her away again, this time, Anna did not fight back, she was too weak. Through her tears and screams, Anna saw that they were moving the baby out of her parent's room too and one of them had placed the sheets over the top of her mother's head._

"I guess you don't remember that we met once before then?"

Sakura swallowed the painful lump in her throat and tried to sound calm.

"We did?"

Anna smiled, her broken heart hidden away. Tears refusing to emerge so not to make her make up run.

"Yep. It was only the once like; I was four and you had just turned three if I remember. I transmuted a Sakura tree in your yard for you as a late birthday present."

Sakura had a vision of electric blue flash in her brain, followed by angry screams.

"Ummmm……I think that was the tree my parents bur----got rid of."

Anna smiled another easy smile and took another sip.

"I guess that my Aunt; your mother, doesn't like Alchemy very much?"

Sakura's eyes widened slightly.

"Is that what you are? An Alchemist?"

"Shhhhhhhhhh!"

Anna put a slender, creamy finger to those beautiful, plump, ruby red lips.

"They're all trying to keep it a secret, but yes; it's my true profession and my birth right. I'm the only one out of the three of us who inherited it from our father for some reason. Not that I want those two to be alchemists, I'd rather they be ninja……...which is also another reason we want to move to Konoha."

Anna looked sheepish at that confession. Sakura nodded.

"Ahh, I see….That's fine, I'm sure we can work something out for them. And I think I can vaguely remember that…... I think I might still have your coat at my house."

"My coat?"

Anna's thin, perfect black eyebrow rose slightly. Sakura noted that the white, black and ruby red make-up on her face did nothing to flake or make any imperfection despite being moved by muscle. She did not want to mention anything of the anger that had followed Anna's 'birthday present' to her. Best to try and give a _nicer_ impression of the family ties back home.

A pang hit her in the chest. What if her mother made Anna feel unwelcome? So far as Sakura knew, her mother only knew about her sister's daughter, not the two nephew's she was bringing homes as well, but the last time she'd seen her niece, her mother had hit her and forbid Sakura from ever seeing her.

Anna looked at the troubled expression on her face.

"Something wrong?"

She asked as she took a sip of the neglected tea. Sakura opened her mouth as she looked up, then looked away and closed it again.

"I…I…..I mean…my…..I mean…guh."

She dropped her head again. Face covered by her pink bangs.

'_My mother wishes you never existed, tried to stop me coming here to meet you on this mission, resents everything in our house that reminds her of her TWIN sister and yet here I am, talking to you and the two boys no-one ever told ME about, ready to bring you home to a new village with less then welcoming, long lost relatives.'_

Sakura couldn't say that.

"I hid the coat you left in my bedroom before my mother found it."

She could admit that though, but immediately resented herself for saying 'before my mother found it'. God, now she'd done it. Anna was going to be put off by the fact that her aunt and uncle didn't want her, even though they'd only briefly met her once. Well her father hadn't even met his sister in law so Anna was still an undiscovered gene pool to him. Plus the two young boys….with the weirdest names she'd ever heard before.

"Does your mother not know I'm coming? Or does she not want me there?"

It was like she'd smashed Sakura's head through a glass wall of truth. How…HOW could Sakura answer that? Whilst trying the words however, Anna seemed to read it on her face. She looked to the cup in her hands.

"If it helps I do know that she burned that tree down, along with my mother's shawl, but I did wonder about my coat. Thank you for keeping it, it was my favourite."

She smiled. An actual, genuine, thank you, not forced smile. Sakura's mouth dropped opened in disbelief. She'd actually smiled after admitting that she knew that she was unwanted by the last members of her family. The only other family on earth that she was connected by blood to, and they didn't want her.

'_Say something!! Tell her it's not true!! Make her feel wanted!! SAY SOMETHING DAMMIT!!!!'_

Sakura pinched herself in order to get her vocal cords working again, but to say what? _'Yes? Yes your family in your old roots don't want you? That I only came here because YOU asked? That I didn't even know you were even ALIVE???!!! And don't get me started on the boys!!!!! Or the fact that there's TWO of them??!!!'_

"I…..I'm unsure of how….how my parents will react to you coming to Konoha,"

There we go! Nice and easy! Nothing to make her think it's full on fucking blown hatred waiting for her there. She didn't know what would happen when they found out about Will and Jason.

Suddenly, Sakura smiled, she was actually glad she had more cousins then she thought. Screw what anyone else thought, she was on the same team as the Kyuubi container after all, so what should a couple of extra sneers mean?

Nothing, absolutely and utterly nothing!

"But rest assured, I'm more then happy to have you all there."

Anna grinned in return.

"Thank you, Sakura-nii-chan."


	4. Chapter 4

Authors Note: Thank you to all those who have commented and reviewed: I LOVE YOU! I OWN NOTHING!

_- 6 years earlier -_

Kenji was sweating, but he was so cold and wet he couldn't tell.

He bounced heavily off the branch he just leapt from, hearing it crack from his weight and steel-capped boots.

He was running so hard through the trees and mud that his lungs and muscles were screaming in protest against the very air he was breathing into them. The pain in his chest was so intense he feared his heart might explode.

"_Heart?"_ Sneered the voice inside his head. _"Ha! What heart do you have?"_

The rain beat down heavily on him, steaming and spraying up his glasses, the wind ripped painfully at his exposed skin, sharply whipping his hair into his face, blood oozing from his wounds but he didn't care, didn't stop, only sped up. He had to get home and he had to get home NOW!

His wife had given birth and died, that much he knew, his children were with a group of adults he only barely associated himself with, all of them trying to find him. It was close to midnight now so the kids would be asleep….or Will would be at least. He didn't think Anna would be, not with her understandings of the adult world around her and from what he heard she had only just stopped screaming for her mother…as for the baby….well, he hoped the child had survived even though his wife hadn't.

The group he had just left didn't exactly leave him with a lot of comfort in the knowledge that they knew exactly who his children were or where the family house was. It was from them he learned his wife was dead. He hadn't hesitated in knocking as many of them out as he could or wounding the others, but then again he hadn't stopped to look. His only thoughts were to escape and run as hard and as fast as he could.

The children had to be hidden. No question.

If the group got a hold of Anna there would be catastrophic results and he was not going to leave her brother or the baby as easy bait by leaving them exposed. Anna was not in full control of her alchemic abilities yet. She had much to learn, her Taijutsu and Ninjutsu were only at the beginner level, nowhere near enough to even think of taking on a load of s-ranked criminals! And him….

Kenji shuddered. He did NOT want that man anywhere near his daughter! She may be young, but the way _he_ talked about her, and that gleam in his one, red visible eye…

Kenji was going to hurt himself running like this, but today's events would have him giving his right arm if it would make him go faster.

He hit the ground and ran with huge puddles of mud splashing against him. His big, black overcoat was ripped and soaked, dragging him down. Through the gate and up to the door; there was a light on inside but he prayed to either god or the devil, or whoever would have his wretched soul, that it wasn't a trick left by _them,_ that _they_ hadn't already beaten him here and taken his children an the baby he hadn't even seen yet…

He had to lean against the door for a minute as the dizziness swept over him, blurring his vision. The rain was making his body steam through his clothes, but he still felt cold as ice. A wave of nausea hit him as he gripped the door handle; the moment of truth. His head hurt at the images of the house ransacked, blood on the floor, kunai and weapons embedded in the walls…..and a light on to give him a false sense of comfort. Would they only take Anna or all three of them? Or would they kill the younger ones off? Deeming them as not being worth being left alive since only she had inherited her father's gifts?

His hand wouldn't move. Nor would two of his fingers. His brain was sending out the commands, but his motor skills weren't working. He took a few seconds to realise his wrist had been slashed in the commotion earlier and his nerves and tendons cut.

Gripping the handle with both hands he put all his weight down on it and, mercifully, the door opened.

He hit the wooden floorboards with a heavy thud. Well there was noting sharp or wet that he had landed on, so that drew out his fear of the house being ransacked. He lifted his head up and through his one uncracked, lens peered around. Everything was neat and tidy, just as how it always was. The light was coming from a small lamp on the kitchen counter, it was dying out.

Kenji slowly and painfully moved so he had both hands on the floor to support himself up, or one of them did, the other failed miserably and slid down the floor in his blood, almost taking the rest of him with it. Placing one firm foot under his torso, he managed to heave himself up.

Where were the children? Why was the baby not crying? And what of his wife?

Holding his damaged, throbbing wrist, he forced himself forward through the house. Nobody was downstairs, everything was in its usual place but it was dark and quiet, too quiet, it made Kenji's paranoia grow. The stairs were a challenge. He rested heavily on the banister to support himself all the way up; he knew he was leaving blood everywhere all over the floor and on the walls. But as long as it was his blood he didn't care, he would deal with it later.

He was out of breath by the time he reached the final step and the dizziness was kicking in again, his vision blurred and he fell head first into the top step. He didn't fall down fortunately, but he wondered how the hell anyone in the house had not heard him.

It was as if she had heard him think those very words.

He tilted his head to see a door on his left opening slightly. It was too dark to make anything out but it was defiantly opening.

"Anna…..Will….."

'Please dear sweet Kami, please let them still be here, please let _one thing have gone right!'_

A pale face with flaming red hair and brown, sparkly eyes morphed into his vision. Anna was peeking out behind the door.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you."

He whispered. He wasn't too late.

He rolled closer to the wall on his back as Anna quietly came to him and knelt by his head.

"Otousan!"

She whispered, placing one hand on his chest.

"Otousan! Okaasan is dead! Okaasan is dead!"

Her voice sounded raspy and her face was blotchy and red.

"I know honey." He tried to sound like he wasn't in pain.

"Where are the baby and Will?"

Anna sniffed. "They're in my room with the lady, she stayed with us and they're all asleep."

So they weren't alone, thank goodness for that. But unless the woman was a ninja they were all still in great danger. Kenji was running out of time, _they_ could be here in less then an hour and he didn't know how long he'd be running to get here.

He took hold of Anna's cold hand and pulled himself up into a standing position.

"Anna get Will and show me where the baby is."

"Why? What's going on?"

He throat was hurting and her father wasn't comforting her. Anna was scared. Kenji stumbled up the rest of the stairs; he must have looked like he was drunk. Anna was still staring at him wide-eyed.

"Honey, just do what you're told. You're a good girl so just do this for me please."

He wanted to cry, he wanted to swoop down an embrace his daughter with all the love and sorrow any parent in his situation should have, but he couldn't. He could even tell her anything. They just had to get out of here and fast. Using the wall for support Kenji and Anna went into her room. Will was asleep in Anna's bed he presumed and there was the silhouette of a woman in a rocking chair by the window. The crib had been moved in front of the wardrobe.

Not bothering with the light, Kenji woke the young woman by grabbing her shoulder whilst Anna gently shook William awake.

"Wha-wha-what?"

The woman was startled at the shadow of a man in front of her.

"It's fine," he stated, "I'm here now, you can go home."

He stumbled over to the crib to look at his new baby. The woman moved to put a lamp on. Kenji stroked the side of the baby's cheek; he then took a quick peek under the nappy. It was a boy, he smiled. His wife had always wanted another boy. The light going on behind him made whirl about like a wild beast.

"NO!" He yelled "TURN IT OFF!"

That woke both Will and the baby up. The young woman froze in her tracks.

"I'm sorry, I just—"

Kenji knocked the lamp to the floor, it broke and went out. Both the baby and Will had started to cry.

"Go home! Quickly now! Run!"

Kenji had her by the arm and shoved her out the bedroom door. She fled without looking back. Anna was cuddling Will and looked on the verge of tears herself.

"Otousan, what's going on?"

Kenji didn't look at her; he just went back to the crib and gently, gently lifted the crying infant out into his good arm.

"Doesn't matter, Anna. Just keep a hold of Will and follow me."

He was at the door but neither his son nor his daughter moved. Both just stared at him with terror and confusion.

"Anna! Come on! Bring Will now!"

He barked. Anna jumped and motioned for Will to hold her hand. Her father had never yelled at her before, not even when she did a transmutation back in Konoha, or when she'd lost her best coat. But he was yelling at her now, he seemed….desperate almost.

They were outside in the back yard when Will suddenly screamed;

"What about mummy?"

Kenji didn't stop. Anna kept pulling harder to make Will move, but he struggled and kept screaming;

"What about mummy? What about mummy? What about mummy?"

Kenji turned around and grabbed him by the other arm and hurried all four of them off into the trees. It was still raining; it was still cold and dark but Kenji ignored everything and moved his family further and further away from the house, deeper into the forest surrounding them. Anna only managed to look back once. It would be the last time she would ever see that house ever again.

- _Present_ -

"_Kill…."_

"…."

"…_..kill her…."_

Why? Who?

"…_Kill them both!"_

Both? Kill who?

"…_.kill the keeper! KILL! KILL HER!"_

Naruto gripped his chest and coughed. He brushed off Kakashi's quizzical hand on the back and demanded more of Kiko's excellent cooking, holding his bowl up with a huge, fake grin on his face.

"It's nothing, I want another bowl!"

Inside he was shaking. The Kyuubi never demanded the immediate death of someone like that, and it scared him. Usually it was cruel taunts of how slow and what devices were to be used to torture said victim before the death, but this time, Kyuubi went straight for the kill, which was terrifying.

It coursed through his veins. It made him shake. All the anger and burning rage was making his molecules move in an uncomfortable way. It felt like hot bile running up his gullet, but he swallowed more rice to make it go down.

"I never thought I'd see the day when I saw someone with a bigger appetite then Will-kun's!"

They were all being fed by the nice Kiko, the dragon lady - - - Aunty… was in her study, had been since they got there and wasn't joining them (thank kami). But now, as they all sat in the dining room, with full belly's and wet pallets, the Kyuubi was raging on fire, roaring inside him, claws stretched and ready to rip, mouth drooling, teeth bared and gleaming. And the eyes….ooooo, the eyes of that beast! Naruto breathed deeply and quietly.

Who did the Kyuubi want to kill? Who was the keeper? Why was it acting up so violently now? And why so adamant about it? It had never wanted one death so much….not since…no, this went deeper. With Orochimaru he had let himself be consumed by the Kyuubi and it had acted on Naruto's wants, to a degree, but this was purely a one-sided grudge. And it wasn't being doused. It felt worse then when Sasuke had talked to him about that 'Madara' person, when he talked to Naruto about being stuck inside him, about being sealed by the fourth Hokage.

This was pure, unadulterated hate. And it frightened the life out of him.

Sai, Kakashi, Kiko, Will and Jason were all thankfully oblivious, but he'd need to talk about it to Kakashi later, and maybe with Sakura….when she got back.

His fingers gripped the table, it was all he could do not to roll around on the floor and cry out as the idle gossip around him grew louder, and they drowned out his inward silent screams of agony.

"_Kill…."_

"Kill who?"

"…_..kill her…."_

"Why? Who?"

"…_Kill them both!"_

"Who? Why?"

"…_.Kill the keeper! KILL HER!"_

…..

…..Please hurry up Sakura….

The house that they resided in was a traditional Japanese Okiya, Sakura noted as she and Anna walked home from the tea house that night. It had stopped raining but still drizzled enough to make Anna put her umbrella up. Sakura hoped that once they got there she would be shown a room with a bathroom. She really, really, _really_ wanted to wash up. Her hair felt greasy, her clothes baggy with sweat and rain and she knew she smelt a little. Compared to her cousin who walked gracefully in her dark but pretty kimono down the streets to their residence, Sakura felt like an old woman; grumpy, cold and hungry.

They hadn't eaten at the tea house, just sat and chatted with a warm drink in their hands. Anna had stated that they had best move off before they got kicked out. Tea houses didn't take well to non-paying customers. That and plus Anna wanted to get out of her kimono and into something more comfortable, since the obi around her waist was crushing the life out of her.

'Auntie's method,' she'd said. If Anna couldn't breathe, then she couldn't eat or drink whist at work. Sakura snickered slightly, it actually didn't surprise her.

"Aunty has impossibly high standards and expectations."

Anna told her as they rounded a corner.

"If I'm not doing one little, tiny thing right I have to start all over again, and again, and again, until I get it all precise. Regardless of the circumstances."

"Sounds familiar."

Sakura smiled. Her work had zero point absolute zero room for failure. If she got one thing wrong on the battlefield….then lives would be the heavy price she would have to pay. And she would never forgive herself for it. Having lost one teammate, she damn well refused to lose another because of her weakness.

"I know what you're probably thinking; 'poor geisha girl, try curing a poisoned shinobi or two then talk to me about high standards', am I right?"

"Well….n-not exactly."

Sakura blushed, looking at her feet. 'Guilty' must have poured from her. Anna gave her a side glance.

"Truth be told, I actually hate this job, I'm only doing it because I have to hide my gifts, which sucks. I'd rather be out there defending my country and going on adventures like Naruto was saying. I don't want my brothers or me for that matter to be cooped up in some posh house like dolls, all look but no touch type of thing."

"Is that the real reason why you want to come to Konoha? You don't want to hide anymore?"

"….No. I'd rather be out there fighting for what's right, and be using my own talents then being kept hushed up. It's almost like alchemy's a sin, and I want to change that. Fucking hate my father for it. It's because of him and all his wrong-doings that earned us alchemist's our bad name in Konoha."

Sakura thought. Yes, alchemy was kept a low profile in Konoha and if it ever was talked about, then it was when everything went wrong or something catastrophically went bad. Never any of the good stuff or helping people. Most Alchemists she'd heard of were in other countries and in some of the smaller villages, no-one knew what their numbers were or weather they really were a threat to anyone.

"Wouldn't you rather start up somewhere else and get a good reputation there before going to Konoha though? I mean, you are aware that you will be unwanted, you told me so yourself."

Anna gave her another saucy grin.

"That never stopped Naruto from rising so high there. And you are practically replacing Tsunade-sama from what I've heard."

Sakura threw her head back and laughed out-loud.

"So what's to stop me from becoming part of it?"

Anna asked almost innocently.

'Well,' they both thought 'Aside from possible rejection from the Hokage, malice and scorn from every villager in there, betrayal from the shinobi.'

That was something that was nagging Anna at the back of her mind like a small black ink dot that was steadily staining her thoughts. Tsunade was the medic-nin her father had had interludes with, and not all of them kind. It was up to her whether or not Anna would be accepted as an Alchemist in Konoha.

The warmth of the Okiya was almost like a drug to Sakura; it eased her aches and pains and made her feel heavy and sleepy. After leaving their shoes by the door, Sakura followed Anna through the house to the far end. Anna led her up some very steep wooden stairs and into one of the most beautiful bedrooms she's ever seen.

Almost everything was expensive looking, polished and themed. The futon in the middle of the room looked like it would swallow the person sitting on it as it was so comfy and soft. Peach and cream covers swamped the whole thing.

The mirror and perfume bottles sparkled in the light atop a dark brown, heavily polished dresser with a traditional black and gold make-up box, next to a silk red jewellery box.

Little trinkets and other aspects caught her eye; ones that defined Anna, not the geisha living in here. There was almost a library's worth of books in this room and they covered everything from fiction to medic books, romance to crime, Jutsus's to the history of Japan's shinobi. It was most defiantly a girl's room.

Anna crossed over to the built-in wardrobe and slid the door open; she took out a pair of purple silk pyjamas and a Parisian Lace Baby doll cream set, which made Sakura blush and hope to Kami that they weren't for her.

Anna motioned to the purple pyjamas thankfully.

"Those are for you. I expect Kiko has washed and fed all the boys so you can clean up in the bathroom if you want, then get changed into them and we can go grab some food for ourselves."

She started taking out the jewels in her hair. Sakura walked further into the room and placed her bag down on the floor.

"Oh thank you, I have been waiting to hear those words for the past two days."

She giggled a little, then stopped when Anna let her hair fall. It went all the way down to the tops of her thighs and shimmered in the soft light. Sakura suddenly wanted her hair long again. Anna turned round and she noticed that Anna still had two hair pins in her hair as she began to undo her obi; they almost made it look like Anna had devil's horns at the back of her head.

She smiled again. '_Jealous much? You HAVE to stop doing that!'_

A few hours later and everyone was in bed, clean and well fed. The boys were all two together in each room and Sakura and Anna were in her room.

"Reason it's a double." Anna had teased, patting the other side of her bed when Sakura asked. She was a little bit uncomfortable even through they were supposed to be cousins, but once her head hit the pillows she was gone.

Will and Jason had their own room, Kakashi and Sai in another but Naruto was on his own. He didn't like this feeling the Kyuubi was giving him and he didn't get a chance to talk to Sakura that night so was taking no chances by letting someone stay with him. Kiko had ushered all the boys into their rooms after they'd been fed so they could have a bath each and get a goodnight's sleep.

It was getting close to 1am by now. Most of the house was down. Kiko had also retired for the night and nobody dared ask after that Auntie woman.

Naruto was sweating, tossing and turning in his sleep. Moaning like he was in pain almost.

"_Kill…."_

"…_."_

"…_..kill her…."_

_Kill who? Why? Who?_

"…_Kill them both!"_

_Who is both? Why?_

"_Him…Kill him… Kill her….Kill the keeper! KILL HER! KILL THEM! KILL THEM BOTH BEFORE SHE GETS US!"_

"_WHO?"_

_Naruto stood before the golden cage, screaming. One giant red eye with a black hole for a pupil looked back. He could see his entire reflection in it. The red chakra was leaking through at an alarming rate. He needed to stop it. But the amount of anger, hatred, made him afraid. Never before had he seen the Kyuubi this determined to shed blood. And apparently, it wasn't the usual suspects this time._

"_Who do you want to kill? What is the keeper? Why do you hate them so much?"_

_He practically roared at the beast trapped within him._

"_GET THEM BOTH BEFORE THEY GET US! THE REST OF US WILL THNKYOU, AND BELIVE ME, YOU WILL BE GREATFULL YOU DID IT!"_

_The Kyuubi was working himself up and Naruto was cowering before him._

"_The rest of us? What do you mean? And I will never thank you for ever killing anyone! You couldn't even destroy Orochimaru for kami's sake! I let you go at him and -"_

"_This is nothing like the snake, kid! This is your life that I'm talking about; my very existence depends on you! And I am demanding that you kill her before she and he kill both of you AND me!"_

_He seemed calmer for explaining his reasons, but still terrifying._

"_Who are they? Why will they kill me?"_

_The Kyuubi suddenly looked up._

"…_she's coming."_

"_What? Who?"_

"_Kill!...! Kill her!...KILL!... KILL HER!"_

Naruto leapt up and screamed in defence as he felt something touch his shoulder. His hand shot out and penetrated something solid. It was a pure and utter reflex. He hadn't known what he had done till he found himself staring into the petrified, wide eyes of Anna Amneo.

Looking down, he saw why. His hand had gone straight through her chest and out the other side, blood pouring out of her.


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note: If anyone is having a hard time picturing Anna, she's on my dp on my profile. I OWN NOTHING!

Sakura was soaking in the bathtub that was big enough for three people, covered in bubbles. She was happy she was now clean and had some dry pyjamas to get into, but in her hand she was staring at the photo of both her mother and her aunt. Should she show it to Anna and the boys?

From what she'd heard Jason had never met his mother and his father had held him briefly only once. So that might not be a good idea. She remembered the little blue coat under her bedroom floorboards at home.

Why hadn't she thought to bring it with her?

'Cause she'd forgotten about it of course! In all her anger and spite at her mother she'd packed hastily.

And then finding the picture her mother had tried to dispose of. It had wiped everything clear from her mind except the determination to meet her cousins. Dropping it back onto her bag by the side of the tub, Sakura submerged herself under the water and disappeared under a cloud of bubbles on the surface.

Anna had yet to meet the rest of the team. Sakura had briefed her over them all whilst in the tea house. Anna was impressed, most of all by Naruto, he sounded a bit like Will, she'd laughed. But it was too late now to have introductions, they were just going to have some supper and then retire like everyone else in the house.

Coming back up for air, she brushed the bubbles from her face and ran her hands through her clean and soft, pink hair. The pyjamas were ready and waiting on the radiator next to the towels so they would be really warm when she got out. Kiko had come in earlier and taken everyone's clothes to be washed. They'd be ready first thing tomorrow she'd smiled before hobbling off with her walking stick.

Sakura picked up the picture again.

Anna was sitting on her bedroom window's ledge. The other person was doing the same, but on the outside, hidden by the pane.

"….She seems sweet, the boys like her, and all of team seven. I haven't met them yet though."

Anna smiled at the person.

He turned his head slightly towards the garden.

"I cannot stay long whilst they are here. I may be caught."

"Relax; they're here for me, not you."

The man turned his head towards her, face hidden by long, black bangs.

Anna looked him straight in the eye.

"Do you ever miss Konoha?"

She asked bluntly.

He stared back for a minute, as if asking why she dared to presume such a thing, then turned towards the garden again.

"No."

Anna smiled sadly at him.

"Yes you do. You may not like to think it, but you do. Will you still see me when I move there?"

He didn't answer.

She caught his hand when he rose up, ready to leave. Black and red cloak rustling around him.

"Will you?"

He turned, eyes looking at where she held onto him. He felt like ice compared to her, it astounded him sometimes, she knew who he was, what he was, what he was capable of, and yet she still clung sweetly to him. Treated him like he was….._human._

He scowled and bent down to brush his lips against hers for a second. She closed her eyes and just _felt_ him above her. She shuddered with a tingle of pleasure.

"Maybe."

And just like that, he was gone.

Anna sighed slightly, a saddened look on her face once more.

"Tease."

She whispered and pulled the window shut after she moved. Sakura would be finished soon. It was best if her cousin didn't know about Anna's late-night visitor.

When Sakura came through, Anna was on her bed, reading a book. She looked up and smiled at her. The pyjamas fit nicely but were a tad loose in certain areas

*Cough Breasts Cough*.

"That was lovely, thank you."

She tried not to pull the shirt any tighter then she was temped to.

The dining room was just as nice as the teahouse, but smaller. They both had Chicken Paprikash with a bottle of sake each. Sakura fidgeted with the picture in her pocket. Should she show Anna? Or would it bring back too many painful memories? It seemed wrong not to show her, but she didn't want to hurt her feelings if she did.

'_Show her. Don't show her. Show her! Don't show her! SHOW HER! DON'T-'_

"Something wrong? Is it too spicy for you?"

Anna paused with her chopsticks in her mouth, looking at her. Sakura panicked and practically threw the picture at her, then grabbed her own bowl and started to demolish it. Anna jumped back slightly with a surprised look on her face. Putting her bowl down and giving Sakura weird look, she unfolded the picture that had narrowly escaped a watery grave.

"Kami they really were twins. It never ceases to amaze me whenever I look at this."

"Hurdghugh!" Sakura chocked on piece of chicken and slammed her bowl down.

"You have this?"

She shrieked.

Anna smiled at her.

"Exactly the same one. My mother had it in a silver frame next to her bedside before she died. I used to stare at it for hours when I was little. I just couldn't believe that I had an aunt who was an almost exact copy of my mother walking around."

Well that sucked all the excitement right out of her. Sakura slumped down and knocked back half her bottle of sake.

"I left your coat back in Konoha unfortunately."

Sakura mumbled, stabbing at her meal.

"It's ok. It's probably way too small for me now. You can keep it if you want."

The rest of the meal was quiet but not uncomfortable. Anna stopped on their way back to her room to check on her brothers. They were both rather dead to the world; mouths wide open, snoring loudly, limbs all over the place, sheets twisted and pushed off.

"Where shall I…?"

Sakura began when they were back in Anna's room. Anna looked up at her from the bed and patted next to her.

"Reason it's a double."

She said teasingly. Sakura gave a tight smile before stiffly walking round the other side and plonking herself on the bed. Anna was fluffing up her pillow whilst she got comfortable. She was a bit uneasy, even though they were cousins, but once her head hit the nice soft pillow, she fell instantly asleep.

Anna watched her with an incredible look on her face. How the hell anyone managed to do that was beyond her! It often took her at least an hour of reading and maybe a bit of music before she even FELT sleepy, but nooooooooo! Her cousin just put her head down and was off like a light! Anna pulled the covers over them both and crossed her arms hotly.

1am was ticking closer and closer. Anna was slightly dosing when she was snapped back (painfully) awake when she heard muffled grunts coming from within the house. She sat up and listened harder. Sakura lay undisturbed, she didn't move or anything.

Lucky cow.

The grunting was defiantly in the house. Anna got up and slid the shoji door open slightly. The air was cold on her exposed skin. It gave her goose bumps. Quietly going down the corridor, she slid the first shoji door open; Will and Jason were still blissfully off in la-la land.

The second shoji door she came too she presumed was Kakashi and Sai's room. Both of them were sleeping peacefully in their beds, looking like they were wrapped up in cocoons compared to her brothers.

Kiko's room was empty; she was probably getting a night-cap or a hot brew downstairs. So that left Naruto.

Anna tip-toed towards his door.

More strangle sounds of pain. Defiantly him then.

Opening the door, she slipped in quietly.

Naruto was tossing and turning on his bed, he had his shirt off and his skin glistened with sweat in the moonlight, Anna would have thought he was cute, if he didn't sound like he was being suffocated by an invisible force on top of him.

He was getting worse.

"_GET THEM BOTH BEFORE THEY GET US! THE REST OF US WILL THNKYOU, AND BELIVE ME, YOU WILL BE GREATFULL YOU DID IT!"_

_The Kyuubi was working himself up and Naruto was cowering before him._

"_The rest of us? What do you mean? And I will never thank you for ever killing anyone! You couldn't even destroy Orochimaru for kami's sake! I let you go at him and -"_

"_This is nothing like the snake, kid! This is your life that I'm talking about; my very existence depends on you! And I am demanding that you kill her before she and he kill both of you AND me!"_

_He seemed calmer for explaining his reasons, but still terrifying._

"_Who are they? Why will they kill me?"_

_The Kyuubi suddenly looked up._

"…_she's coming."_

"_What? Who?"_

"_Kill!...! Kill her!...KILL!... KILL HER!"_

Anna hesitated, but gently placed her fingers on Naruto's shoulder.

"Umm….Naruto?"

Naruto suddenly leapt up and screamed in defence as he felt something touch him.

Anna yelped as well and jumped back, but not quick enough. His hand shot out and penetrated something solid. It was a pure and utter reflex. He hadn't known what he had done till he found himself staring into Anna's petrified, wide eyes.

Looking down, he saw why. His hand had gone straight through her chest and out the other side, blood pouring out of her.

Anna's head lolled back onto her neck, she choked and spat out a huge quantity of blood. She was shaky on her feet, was she going to collapse?

The ceiling was wobbly, or was that her eyes?

The blood ran from where Naruto's arm was engulfed between her breasts and down her body steadily, staining the silk with crimson, and ran in thick trickles down her thighs to her feet.

A small red pool was forming by the time Naruto regained his senses properly and fully grasped the situation. The Fox cloak was surrounding him, making all his senses sharper, and bathing the room in a dim orange glow. He smelt the blood, metallic yet warm, runny yet thick. His pupils dilated, his fangs grew sharp and his nostrils flared. He wanted to taste it, that liquid fire that smelt so good, his tongue darted out between his teeth, but another hollow breath from the woman he had impaled on his arm jolted the sanity back into him.

"Oh shit!"

He panicked. How many tails did the fox cloak have? It must be two or less, since he was suddenly aware of all that he was doing. Anna moved slightly and his went eyes wide and mouth gaping open.

"I…..I'm sorry."

Anna brought her head down slowly, she felt like she was going to chuck up and pass-out all at the same time. Her body was going numb as she felt her organs shutting down. Her breathing sounded hollow, but her heart was going ten to the dozen.

Slowly, she managed to lift her now stiff and heavy arms, one to grab onto the appendage that was sticking into her, the other for Naruto's belly, the seal thick, black and pulsing.

"Help me….SOMEBODY HELP!"

Naruto yelled.

He didn't know what to do.

He didn't notice her reaching for him.

His job meant he took lives not save them, but Sakura was going to be pretty pissed at him if he took the life of her newly found cousin, at least that who he thought she was, she smelt the same as the boys and the same red hair.

He watched, stupefied, as she heaved more oxygen into her dying lungs and gripped his arm tightly, almost painfully, her nails cutting into his skin, but burning her at the same time and began to pull his arm out.

The other hand that went for his belly suddenly slapped upon it as she stumbled forward a step but didn't fall down, though she looked like she was going to drop dead right about then.

"Ow…ow! OW! OW! Guhgh!"

It was like he had a million sharp little pinpricks where her hands were on him, his tongue was contracting to the back of his throat, blocking his air-way, his head started to pound and his eyes were becoming unfocused, rolling around in his skull like he had no control over them.

Everywhere was suddenly hotter then it was before and it hurt! He felt his body deflate slightly, what was happening? The Kyuubi's chakra and his own- no! His very LIFE-FORCE were all being sucked forward out of him!

Anna focused on her breathing.

'Keep going! You need it! Keep going!'

The fox cloak that covered Naruto was transferring to her own skin; seared through her like a blade, but if it was gong to keep her alive…

Naruto's arm was coming out quicker the more chakra she drained from him. He was staring to deteriorate in front of her, but he'd live, unlike her if she stopped.

_The Kyuubi inside him was still going nuts, he was roaring at the top of his lungs, attempting to pour out more of his own chakra the more it got drained; Naruto slumped in front of the golden cage, feeling very old and tired all of a sudden._

"_What's happening to me?"_

_He was on all fours in front of the Kyuubi unable to keep his head straight feeling like all his bodily fluids were threatening to explode out of him, but something wasn't right. _

_With this opportunity the Kyuubi would usually be using it as a chance to escape but it was just withering around behind the cage doors, having a fit almost, but belting as loud as it could, teeth bared, claws razor sharp still, poised to rip and kill._

_Naruto had to physically lift his head up straight with his hands to see what the hell was happening, just as the Kyuubi suddenly reared up on hind legs in all it's terrible glory and wonder, let out what sounded a weakened warning growl then came crashing down to collapse on the floor._

_Naruto could only hold his head up a minute longer; he was going to pass out._

_Out of the corner of his eye he saw something that nearly made his heart stop in shock; that girl, the one he had maybe killed (if she wasn't dead yet) was laying on top of the Kyuubi's back. She was covered in its red chakra as well; she looked almost like she was…__**melting**__ into it almost? Only her top half was visible, she was…__**hugging**__ the Kyuubi?_

_He couldn't keep up. He dropped to the floor, out cold._

Sakura, Sai, Kakashi, Will, Jason and Kiko all ran to the doorway and stopped dead at the sight in front of them.

Sakura couldn't believe what she was seeing! The fox-cloak was engulfing Anna; two tails out at the base of her spine, she was clinging onto Naruto who looked like death almost, his blond hair looked dull and dirty, his skin, greyish almost and his eyes were sunken into his sockets, mouth slack and drooling and ready to drop if not for Anna having one hand pressed against his belly, the other was holding his arm which was…_coming out of a closing hole in her chest?_

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Everyone was shoved roughly to one side as Aunty came barrelling through them all. She practically slammed Kakashi and Sai into the door before grabbing a rough hand on Sakura's wrist and hurling her into the room.

"I'LL DEAL WITH IT! GO BACK TO YOUR ROOMS NOW!"

She slammed the door in their faces before anyone could protest, Sakura quickly turned around to see Aunty place her hand on the door, a blue flash and snap of electricity and…holy hell! The door was gone? It was just wall now!

Sakura had to blink several times to get her mind to register what she was seeing. Aunty snapped her back to reality.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" She yelled at the top of her voice. "HEAL HIM!"

She strode straight across the room and broke Anna and Naruto apart using her fists. Naruto fell straight onto the floor and stated to cough and fit, his body jerking and twitching horribly, his breathing shallow. Sakura ran to his side, and placed his head on her lap.

Anna was also on the floor with Aunty towering over her. She was cowering before her and crying. The hole in her chest was just closing up and the skin healing.

Squirming on the floor, Aunty looking like she didn't know what part of her to grab to control her.

"Careful! That's the fox-cloak from the Kyuubi! It's-"

"_I know what it is! Leave her to me and heal him, medic_!"

_She knew what it was? _Well this day was just full of surprises!

Anna let out a gurgling, strangled scream.

Her limbs were becoming enlarged by themselves; the bones snapping and healing on their own.

Her toes were on the ground but her heals were stretching out and upwards, the same structure as a large predator's; her knees bending forwads, her spinal-cord was pressing up through her skin and stretching out, her arms were stuck out ridged in front of her, fingers and hands becoming swollen; nails becoming razor sharp.

"Hurghguh! He…he…lp….help!"

She begged from her position on the floor, she was going to drown in her own body!

"Stupid girl!"

Aunty scolded.

She grabbed one of Anna's hands and threw her backwards into a kneeling position. Her hand burned upon contact with Anna's skin. It sizzled and blistered but she paid no attention.

Anna was gasping and throwing her head high to the heavens, gulping in as much air as she could whilst trying to keep herself upright.

"_Hold still!"_

Aunty yelled. She clapped her hands together almost as if in prayer, but Sakura was startled by the amount of chakra the woman suddenly had rippling through her.

She bend down as close as she could get without coming into any real contact with Anna and slapped her hand down none too gently directly in the centre of her chest.

Blue light exploded just as she made contact and Anna screamed in agony.

Sakura raised her arm in defence against the blinding light and covered Naruto as best she could. She couldn't see anything!

Anna's screams died as soon as the light did. It must have only been a few seconds, but it had lasted forever. She fell, limp and shaking to the floor.

"You better appreciate all I've done for you, girl!"

Auntie's sharp voice penetrated everything.

"That's taken a huge chunk of my chakra right there!"

Then to Sakura's horror, Aunty raised her foot and kicked Anna in the side so she rolled on to her back, delirious and unseeing with her wide eyes.

Then she rounded on Sakura, making her jump.

"Next time get your ass in gear woman! You are a medic aren't you?"

She roughly straightened the collar of her kimono and ran a hand along the side of her hair, then walked straight to the wall, clapped her hands again and the door re-appeared!

Sakura was still staring after her as everyone who was trapped outside rushed in.

"What happened? Is he ok? What's wrong with her? Where did _that_ come from?"

She heard them talking, but couldn't hear them properly, Kakashi and Sai were kneeling in front of her, Kiko was hovering in the middle of the room, not knowing where to place herself and William and Jason were trying to help their big sister sit up, despite the fact that she was as unresponsive as Sakura herself.

"Sakura!"

Kakshi was clicking two fingers infront of her face.

"Sakura! What on earth happened?"

Well…Naruto was still drooling into her pj's, unresponsive as ever and Anna suddenly had a huge circular tattoo on her chest with spindly lines running patterns and shapes through it where a great big, bloody hole had just been moments before.


	6. Chapter 6

Authors Note: Thank you to all those who are still finding my story interesting and still reading it! Lol! I OWN NOTHING!

* * *

_-Three years earlier-_

* * *

_Sakura was struggling to keep up with her mother who had hold of Sakura's arm in a painful grip. She had a good idea where they were going and she was afraid. Her mother was striding straight ahead towards the Hokage Tower. Only a short while before, Sakura had practically skipped all the way to her house, happy at being placed on team seven with Sasuke Uchiha! Naruto was a downside, but as long as Sasuke was there, she'd deal. _

"_There you go Ino! I beat you!"_

_Her inner self danced around._

_She ran into her kitchen on cloud nine, ready to run a marathon. Her parents were just sitting down to dinner._

"_Okaasan! Otousan! I made it! I'm in team Seven and I'm on the same team as Sasuke-kun! YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!"_

_Sakura squealed and did a jig on the spot._

"_Well done dear!"_

_Both her parents congratulated her._

"_So…who else is on your team then?"_

_Sakura slumped herself down into her chair and picked up her knife and fork. All the excitement had left her hungry._

"_Well my sensei is Hatake Kakashi."_

_Her parents gave each other smiles._

"_He's an excellent ninja, so I've heard. He'll take good care of you."_

_Her father turned back to his plate. Her mother kept smiling._

"_I'm so proud of you honey! And who's your other team mate?"_

_Sakura's face fell._

"_Uzamaki Naruto."_

_She proceeded to stab at the meat on her plate, not noticing the way her parents had both suddenly froze._

"_I don't know why I got stuck with him. He's like, the worst ninja to be put with on a squad!"_

"_Uzamaki Naruto?"_

_Her mother hissed, startling both Sakura and her father. She looked at her mother apprehensively._

"_Ummmm… yeah….but like I said, I'm also with Sasuke-kun so it doesn't matter who else is there."_

"_I DON'T WANT YOU WITH THAT UZAMAKI BOY!"_

_She yelled, making both Sakura and her father jump in shock, dropping their utensils._

"_Well hey! Don't take it out on me! I'm not the one who organized the groups!"_

_Sakura's mother sized a hold of her arm and proceeded to drag her away from the dinner table._

"_Whoa! Whoa! Mum! What are you doing?"_

"_You stay there! I'm going to sort this right now!"_

_Her mother snapped at her husband then yanked Sakura out the house with determined strides._

_So here she was now, sat outside the Hokage's office with her angry mother. The reception staff had been too startled (and scared) presumably to refuse them permission to 'speak' with the Hokage, right there, right then._

_Half an hour had passed and her mother remained in the same position she had been; sat up straight, arms folded with that same look like she was going to murder someone on her face. Sakura dare not speak, or move, or breathe loudly. So when the Hokage's door opened and Iruka stepped out to say they could go in, she relaxed with relief._

_Her mother marched straight up to the Hokage's desk and made her 'concerns' about Sakura's team mates very, very clear to him and everyone in the room._

"…_.AND I don't see why he should even BE a ninja at all!"_

_Ten minutes of ranting non-stop without a breath, and the Hokage just sat in his seat, watching her wearily. Not once had he tried to interrupt her or stop her from dulling his eardrums, he just listened. When her mother was done, the third beckoned Sakura forward._

"_Haruno Sakura?"_

_He may be old, but it was still burned into Sakura's mind that the man before her could kill her instantly without her even knowing it was coming. He didn't get to this position the first time for just being nice. __Hiruzen Sarutobi was one of the most powerful ninja in the village._

"_Yes Hokage-sama?"_

_Sakura hoped her voice didn't shake too much._

"_Are you on the same terms as your mother about Naruto being on your team?"_

_Sakura felt her mother's eyes burning on the top of her head. If she said yes, she might be taken away from Sasuke, but if she said no, she'd be stuck with Naruto for the rest of her ninja life (However long that was going to be). But she loved Sasuke too much._

_Sorry Okaasan._

"_No, Hokage-sama, I'm not."_

"_SAKURA!"_

Her mother screamed in her ear.

"_Well then," The third brought her attention back to him. "If Sakura isn't bothered by him then I don't see why either of them should be removed."_

_Sakura's mother was not happy. She spent another ten minutes yelling at the Hokage, who barely batted an eyelash, and then dragged Sakura home where she screamed some more at Sakura for not complaining to the Hokage about being moved to another team._

_The things we do for love._

* * *

_-Three years later-_

* * *

Sakura sat at Naruto's bedside, watching the quick but shallow way his chest moved up and down. He had had a fit when Sakura's medical instincts finally kicked in, both Sai and Kakashi had to hold him down to stop him from hurting himself. It was a tense fifteen minutes before she could get him to relax and breathe properly, now all he had done for the passed two days was slip in and out of conciseness, barley managing a mouthful of water from the cup Sakura pressed to his lips before passing out again. The Kyuubi's chakra was almost gone from his body; she'd noticed when she first started assessing the damage.

Now his colour and strength were coming back; more of it was flowing through his channels once again. What the hell had Anna _done to him?_ She'd never seen anything like it, and nobody seemed to want to talk or tell her anything. Or to her team for that matter. Auntie and Kiko had checked up on them a few times but said nothing of what had happened; William and Jason were silent as they packed what remained of their belongings and at meal times, almost afraid to even be in the same room as any of them.

Anna had disappeared clean off the face of the earth. Not once did any of team 7 see her around the Okiya and when asked, Auntie snapped and told them all to mind their own business. She was as hard as steel-capped boot. But at least Naruto was on the mend. Kakashi had sent a message via falcon earlier that day to the Hokage, explaining the delay and events of the other night, and of the dead lock everyone had on their mouths about it.

Naruto did not full wake until late the following night. He almost nudged Sakura off his bed when moving his legs.

"Augh….man! Do I feel like shit!"

Sakura sat up in a blur and attempted to make her eyes adjust to the lack of light in the room. She'd fallen asleep with her head resting on his bed. Blinking several times, the now well-looking Naruto attempted to sit up.

"Are you feeling ok?"

Was the first things she asked. He turned his sky-blue eyes to her properly and Sakura was relived to see life in them again.

"Yeah….but what the hell happened to me? I remember my arm sticking out of that girl with red hair…"

"That was Anna, my elder cousin. Way to make a first impression by the way."

"Oh….sorry!...An-And then, I was like, being sucked off! And not the nice way either!"

"NARUTO!"

He wasn't hit as hard as usual, but it still hurt from him being still so tender. Rubbing his skull, he managed to sit properly against the headboard.

"Whaaaat? That's what it felt like! It felt like something was sucking the Kyuubi's chakra away from my skin and it burned! And then MY OWN chakra! That fucking wrecked! It felt like a blade or a piece of ice!"

Sakura played with her hands nervously.

"So what the hell did she do to me?"

A knock at the door revealed Kakashi on the other side.

"No-one is talking at the minute. But my guess is she took your chakra to keep herself alive from the hole you punched threw her chest. Way to make a first impression by the way."

"Sheesh! Sorry! Notice how no-ones telling her off for sucking the life-force outta me!"

He crossed his arms and stuck out his bottom lip.

"We can't find her. We don't know if she's ok or what but I've asked the Hokage for a few more days till you're better and we can get to the bottom of this. Sakura."

"Yes sensei?"

"Kiko has asked that you help her with some packing, I can watch Naruto from here."

Great. So she spends all night watching the blond idiot who tried to kill her new family member and now she has to go help pack some old bird's clothes. The life of a kunoichi! AND he didn't even say thank you! Ungrateful so and so.

Sakura was muttering and grumbling all the way down the corridor that she didn't notice the door on her left side sliding open, nor the person stepping out till they bumped into each other.

"Oh! Shit!"

They both exclaimed at the same time.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry! I…"

It was Anna. And she looked …..Well…..fabulous for a chick that'd had a guy's arms stuck through her chest only a few hours ago. She was standing upright which is usually a plus! Her hair was flowing down her back with the two pins atop her head that looked like devil's horns and she was dressed casually; blue jeans and a black, elbow length sleeved shirt. Her eyes were bright and her skin looked like it was glowing.

Did last night really happen?

"Heya cuz!"

Anna embraced Sakura in a firm hug. Sakura didn't hug back. She couldn't move.

What the hell?

She couldn't make sense of what she was seeing. Last night Anna was on the verge of death, now it looked like she'd been to a spa all day.

"Hey…ummmmm, are you ok?"

Anna let her go and gave a smile which showed perfect, white teeth.

"Who, me? I'm brilliant! Couldn't be better actually. You?"

She spoke like she hadn't had her arteries and lungs slashed.

"Errr…..yeah I'm fine….I'm just….what happened last night? And where have you been all this time?"

* * *

Ps If any one has any suggestions about my writing or what I've left out, please don't be afraid to tell me. I don't bite…...hard ;-)


	7. Chapter 7

Authors Note: Thank you to all those who reviewed! I really appreciate it! I OWN NOTHING! Ps I know I'll royal peeve some people off with this chapter but it IS an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE so please please please please, just go with it for the story, pretty please?

Thankyou, much love

* * *

"Kenji…?"

….

"Dad?"

…

Every step he took stabbed his innards with a thousand blades.

They were safe.

She was safe.

The bitc-sorry, _Aunty_- would take care of them.

"DAD!"

But the way Anna looked at him as he walked out of the Okiya….

It would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Gradually the pain grew less and less, but he supposed that was just his feet growing numb, and the blood loss….yes, that was it.

Aunty wasn't the most pleasant of people he could have left is children with, but what choice did he have? She was the only one he'd found so far to live up to his expectations of an accomplished alchemist. The Okiya Mistress was simply a ruse, but a good one.

Still…..

"DAD!"

He could still her screaming. Kiko had tried to keep her quiet, but as soon as he was out of the door…

After taking his children away from the house, he'd taken them deep in to a village farthest away. Aunty hadn't seen him straight away, so they were waiting in one of the rooms. Anna kept asking but he wasn't ready.

Finally she'd agreed to see him.

"Here sweetie, come with me."

Jason was snoozing in a makeshift Moses basket while Will was on the couch, Kenji took Anna by the hand, and Kiko showed them into a dimly lit room, filled with second-hand smoke. Kenji knelt and bowed to the woman sitting across from him on the other side of a small table; he placed a hand on Anna's back and tried to get her to the same.

She didn't, simply stood next to him and demanded to know;

"What's going on?"

The woman across from them, puffed the smoked out in a semi-laugh/cough.

"Demanding, isn't she?"

Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard to him. He forced Anna to the floor. She knelt but didn't bow, just kept looking furiously at her father.

"You know why we're here, ma'am."

"And you know I hate being called 'ma'am'!"

Kenji bowed his head again.

"Hai…Aunty."

The smoke form her pipe curled like milk mixing with soot in the air.

"What makes you think I'll agree to _this_ anyway?"

She nodded her head towards Anna.

"They found me. My wife is dead so I have no choice."

Aunty banged her fist on the table.

"And you think you can just saunter in here and dump your brats on me then go gallivanting off?"

Kenji raised his head again.

"I have no choice, they made an offer I've had to refuse, they'll come for me either way. At least I'll know my children are safe."

Aunty took another drag on her pipe, then leaned forward over the table to him.

"You do realise I can just get rid of them, spare myself all the trouble, or if _they_ come knocking, I can just hand her over."

"Yes. However I know you won't. You won't waste an opportunity like this. All I ask is that you keep my sons as well."

The smoke coming out of her nose reminded Anna of a bull when it's ready to charge. The woman stood up and marched straight over to them.

"Up!" She barked.

Anna looked to her father. He nodded for her to do so. She didn't want to, the woman stank of smoke ad why should she do anything she wanted? She didn't even say please. She got up as slowly as she could, and held her breath.

The woman started to scrutinise her, walking around her and kicking Kenji out of the way when she got to him, then went around again.

"Name?"

"Amneo Anna." Kenji said for her.

"Ridiculous name for a child."

'_Hey! What kind of a name is Aunty?'_ Anna wanted to yell, or trip her up on her way round again.

"Age?"

The smoke clogged her airways and made her eyes water.

"Ten."

The woman made a choking noise; hopefully she'd die. She wasn't vey nice and Anna was liking her less and less by the second.

"What does she know?"

"Nothing."

Anna snapped her head to him.

"Hey! I know quite a bit thank you! I've been doing alchemy since I was two!"

She threw out at the woman who stood in front of her now. She looked to Kenji.

"Too much fire in her. I'll have to kill that off."

She went back to her desk.

"Fine, I'll keep the brats, but if _they_ come anywhere _near_ me or mine—"

"They won't." Kenji interjected quickly. "They won't, I promise."

"And you?" The woman blew smoke at him, her black eyes, penterated his tender skin.

"You won't have to worry about me; I'll be gone before you know it."

Anna turned to him.

"What does that mean?"

"Fine. Say your goodbye's and be gone, the sooner you are the better."

Kenji bowed low to her again.

"Arigatou gozaimasu."

"Otousan?" Anna was getting annoyed with not being noticed by either adult.

Kenji rose up and grabbed her hand again, the led her through to the other room where her brother's were still asleep. He sat her down on the couch.

"Anna, I have to go away for a while."

"Where?" She snapped.

"Away. Now I need you to do something for me."

"I'm not doing _anything_ until you tell me what's going on!"

Kenji dropped his head in exasperation. Did he tell her and break her heart, or did he leave her with the best image of him he could do?

"I have to go away for a while, I don't know when I'll be back but you'll have to stay here with your brother's until I do. Do what Aunty says and be a good girl."

He pressed a hard kiss to her forehead before she could utter any more protests, then he fled. Anna didn't realize what he was dong till he was nearly out the Okiya's door.

"Otousan! Otousan!"

If he looked back he would never be able to go, and this was for their own safety. Really, wasn't that the duty of every parent? To keep their child safe at any cost?

Even if it was their own life?

"KENJI!"

Anna screamed. He stopped.

A whisper, he nearly didn't hear it.

"Don't leave me."

….

She made to go after him, but Kiko got to her first. He did not want to look back, but he did.

The look of utter betrayal on his daughter's face as he turned around again and carried on walking….

It would haunt him for the rest of his life.

* * *

Sakura sat on the floor of Kiko's bedroom, folding up kimonos and clothes, or rather one kimono with a pile of clothes next to her. Anna knelt next to her, focused on the task at hand. It was when she looked back for the third time to see Sakura still folding the same kimono and just staring at her with a dumb-founded-mouth-agape-look-of-shock that she set herself down cross-legged, directly in front of her.

"Ok, you have done nothing but stare at me since the hall, please say something! You're creeping me out."

The nicely folded kimono dropped from Sakura's hands.

"Could you…run all that by me one more time?"

Well if it made her fold quicker…

Anna set the box down and seated herself opposite her cousin.

"Ok, so you know Ninja and Alchemist have like, different body chemistry and chakra circulation right?"

Mouth still open, Sakura moved her head up and down.

"When we alchemists perform a transmutation, we use up a load of chakra that only makes it self known when we do it, from a second chakra circulation. Other wise if we walked around with huge chakra signatures, everything and everyone would attack us, so we keep it stored away till it's needed, on a separate, dormant circulation. Last night, when Naruto stuck his arm through my chest, I had to take the Kyuubi chakra from him to quickly undo all the damage he had done to keep myself alive."

Alright…with you so far.

"The chakra that I took is now in my dormant circulation system, so I won't be using it till I need it and no-one can sense it. The seal Aunty so kindly slapped on me is just like a padlock, extra security if you will, to keep it safe and hidden. Alchemists have been studying the Tailed Beasts as much as ninja, but last night was the closest _I've_ ever been to one. And I can honestly say….I am in _no_ hurry to get up close and personal like that again. You ever going to start on that pile by the way?"

She pointed to the clothes next to Sakura, who grabbed a handful, then proceeded to poke at them from her lap, eyes still fixed on her cousin. About ten seconds passed before Anna grabbed the remaining lot and started folding them.

So much for hired help.

"There's never been an alchemist endowed with a Bijū before, so me having the Kyuubi's chakra is a big deal, but Auntie's told me to keep my mouth shut about it. She'll probably have a go at you lot later on."

Sakura pointed slightly.

"So it's behind..?"

"This?" Anna pulled the neck of her top down to reveal the thick, black, spindly circle that took over most of her chest. It was no ninja seal, but it looked heavy and powerful. Sakura could sense the small surge of the red chakra behind it, but it was only a trace… that must be why Anna's skin was like, _glowing_ and….a hint of her cleavage showed, which sent a spark of annoyance through Sakura.

'Lucky cow, she gets the good boobs and I get stuck with _these!_' Sakura thought snidely, looking down at her own chest. Anna let her top go.

"Was it bad that I took it? I didn't mean to you know, I just had to. I was going to die otherwise—"

She was babbling. Did she think Sakura was mad at her for it?

"No! No! It's ok! It's just… well…you took it right from the Kyuubi, from the main source…and I've seen what that kind of chakra can do to Naruto, so I'm just wondering how the hell you can be in perfect control?"

Anna chuckled and picked up another piece of clothing.

"Like I said, Alchemists and Ninja are different, plus I took it under the element of surprise, so I don't think the Kyuubi couldn't have done anything to harm me anyway. I knew I couldn't take the amount I needed from Naruto so I went for the Kyuubi, it's not like it's going to run out anytime soon."

She gave another small chuckle.

"The seal which Aunty stamped onto me allows only a small percentage through so my body can get on wave-length with it and adapt to it. But I'm more then happy for you to check me over if it'll put everyone's mind at ease; William asked if I was going to grow a frigging _tail!_."

Sakura burst out laughing. The door opened and William stuck his head in.

"Hey, freak, we're nearly done packing and ready to rock, what's taking you so long?"

"Get lost lacto-boy!"

William stuck his tounge and slammed the door behind him.

"Lacto-boy?"

Sakura asked, finally starting to properly fold the clothing.

"William's lactose intolerant, so I call him Lacto-boy, and since last night, he's finally found a name to call me; freak apparently. Personally I think he's jealous."

"And Jason?"

"Hasn't talked properly since he first tried, but he's ok with me, just a bit weary which is understandable. Speaking of; how is your team going to handle all this?"

Sakura thought, while Naruto seemed to be ok, Kakashi and Sai had made considerable effort to keep out of the way of Anna, but pry into everyone around her including Sakura for any details.

Which was annoying considering she wasn't chewing on anyone's brains or anything like they all seemed to think would happen if they got too close.

The walk back to Konoha was going to fun, three or four days of _walking_ _NEXT_ to Anna… ho yes! Her team had plenty of time to get used to her, and vice-versa…

Ha ha ha!


	8. Chapter 8

Heya folks! Sorry for not updating for like…..FOREVER! Unfortunately I've had no internet, so without further ado; here you go!

P.S. I have a question foryou all; Who is Anna's Night-Visitor? ;)

* * *

It was still dark.

How quickly he'd arrived, even though his body felt like it was slowly shutting down.

Kenji sat on the blood stained bed in the dark room, silence enveloping the entire space. The soft mould of white cotton covered the owner of the ice white, marble arm he was continually stroking.

A lump rose in this throat.

Amneo Kenji did not cry.

But it was so painful to bear….

She was really gone….

….

You don't believe a person's dead until they really are. Until you're left with nothing but the body.

He hadn't dared to lift the sheet. Best he remember her as she was; all smiles and laughter, pink hair catching the sun, so full of life, her belly fat and swollen with the promise of their third child.

A boy.

Jason.

…

His children were safe.

All of them.

…

_They_ could come get him now if they wanted.

_They_ could kill him now if they wanted. He expected that.

He didn't mind dying now. The sooner the better really.

….

It was nearly dawn before he heard them enter the house.

Typical, they came when their name suited them.

A red dawn glared through the window.

…..

Blood was still soaking the bed, dripping slightly over the edge.

He didn't mind. It didn't matter if was hers or his.

He had done what he needed to do; now he was at peace…as if he were dead already.

A ghost wandering the earth with no purpose. A mere shadow of his former life.

The coldness from the graying flesh beneath his fingertips reminded him that he still had a fluctuating pulse…unfortunately.

Still…the footsteps ascending the stairs would take care of that soon.

…

It took an age.

'_Come,'_ he thought, _'Come, and be done with it.'_

_Put me out of misery like an old, sick dog._

The door creaked open slowly, every hair on his body stood up.

He didn't turn around…Knew which pair it was.

"Amneo Kenji."

That voice….made him colder still…. Or was it the fresh corpse; stealing away his body's warmth as it begged for him to join it?

"Be quick."

His voice was hoarse and painful….Kept his back to them.

"Even if I was going to kill you, _which believe me, I really want to_, it wouldn't be quick. It would last a full week before I let you have the mercy of death."

Kenji laughed a bitter, vile taste in his mouth.

"So," still no turning around, "if it's not death, then what does the Akatsuki have planned for me?"

Floorboards groaned; movement from behind him.

"Since you have deprived us of your daughter, our orders were to bring _you_ back."

…

"Alive, but by any means necessary."

A toothy smile completed the last part of that sentence.

Kenji gripped the hand of his deceased wife. The golden ring on her fourth finger rough and somehow colder still on his flesh.

The sun rose higher, filling the room with warmth he did not feel penetrate his stiff body.

Would he ever be warm again? He doubted it.

…

So no death for him? He was disappointed. And tired…so _tired._

…

It can't be helped.

Let them have him.

…

"I'll come willingly."

He stated much to the slight shock and extreme annoyance of the two members clad in red and black standing less then three feet away. After all the trouble he had caused they had expected some form of resistance.

"…All that I ask is that you allow me to bury my wife before we leave….it won't take long."

…

The floor boards groaned again, as they looked at each other with contemplating looks.

They had him now. The boss said he wanted him alive…fine; let him get rid of the stinking corpse.

They watched him do it in silence, watched from afar in the back yard as he dug out a hole; sweat stung his wounds, hands bleeding fresh blood through the bandages, the ground hard and unyielding to be broken beneath the metal plate of the shovel. The sweat that dropped from his brow was sucked up by the dry earth greedily.

He laughed inside.

Were they waiting in case he tried to escape? Please. He was about to drop dead right there into the grave he was digging right then, barely any strength left in him.

But no, they let him go about his business in peace. The cruelest thing they could do was keep him alive.

…

He didn't want to use Alchemy. She was pure, had been coming into this world, the least he could do was let her go out the same way.

Spearing the shovel into the mould of earth behind him, he hesitated before gently picked up the blood stained, sheet swaddled frozen body with all the tenderness he did his new-born son.

It was almost a crime to just dump her in the empty, cold ground with all the worms. His grip caught the sheet as gravity pulled her into her muddy grave. What he wouldn't have given to fall in with her and let them bury him alive.

Her arm had become unveiled when he set her in, still reaching out for him.

"_Come to me._"

He placed the marble limb upon her torso.

"_Come to me, my husband."_

No matter how long he held her, she would never be warm again. Would never hold or touch her ever again.

The wooden shaft of the shovel bit into his already bleeding palms harder then ever.

The ground swayed dangerously beneath him as he poured the first lot upon the white sheet, staining it deeper than blood ever could.

The sun was at it's highest by the time he was done, pounding furiously upon him in waves for his sins committed.

He decided didn't want to ever see the sun rise ever again.

The Akatsuki could see to that, he was sure.

* * *

'_How dare she?_

_How DARE she take my power from me?_

_Leeches the whole lot of them!_

_Kill! Squish! Mash them beneath my feet!'_

Kyuubi growled in his gleaming cage. To have someone else other then Naruto be in possession of his power….it infuriated him, he was breaking, cracking Naruto at the edges, desperate to break through and feel the insolent whore's neck crack beneath the fleshy finger tips instead of his own two paws.

'_Harlot! Leech! Kill!'_

Naruto tried ignoring these insane thoughts and screams as they all walked the long route to Konoha. It was harder then expected.

But with Sakura chatting idly away to her new family, his sensei and Sai not really paying much attention to him either, he couldn't help but feel slightly pushed out of the happy picture unfolding before him.

This trip to Tea was supposed to bring the two of them closer, or let the major crush he had on her blossom into a relationship at least.

Although sticking his arm through her cousin's chest had hindered all chances of that happening, he couldn't help but feel a deeper sense of disappointment and jealousy.

One of the guards at the gate came jogging towards them before they had even reached it. He handed Kakashi a scroll.

_Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!_

Tsunade had requested that Sakura and team seven accompany their guests straight to the Hokage tower upon arrival.

Kakashi's on visible eye scrutinized the paper in his hands.

"Sorry guys, it's onwards and upwards to the head-cheese herself, no stopping."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!"

Naruto whined, his face scrunching up into a moody look.

"We just got here and I'm hungry! I would have thought that would at least have gotten some Ramen before heading up to Baa-chan!"

Anna turned to Sakura

"Baa-chan?"

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Nick-name he's latched onto Tsunade-sama from the first time he met her. For all the times we've ever hit him I'm surprised we haven't knocked it out of his thick skull."

Naruto whined and winged all the way to the Hokage tower until Sakura threw over her shoulder that she'd take him to go get some later that night if he shut up. His quiet jump and punch to the sky did not go unnoticed by the older of the girls; she kept glancing back and forth between the two of them, the wheels in her head turning and connecting.

Shizune was waiting to greet them all in the corridor.

"Hey guys. Tsunade-sama wants to see you all right away."

She glanced at the red heads before turning on her heel and leading them all towards the Hokage's office. Opening in the door, they filled in one by one, Sakura and her cousins bringing up the rear.

Now that they were here, Sakura was feeling a little nervous. Her sensei was firm but fair in most things but Konoha was a ninja village, it had not had an alchemist for a long, long time.

Tsunade sat at her desk, only putting her pen down when the whole group was in her office.

Sakura and her team bowed, the newbie's following suit after glancing around.

"Tsunade-sama."

They all coursed.

Tsunade stared directly at the red-haired girl.

"Come here."

She commanded firmly.

Anna glanced at Sakura before slowly making her way forwards to the desk. Tsunade looked her up and down, a contemplating look on her face.

Contemplating what exactly?

Anna didn't know where to look; first Tsunade herself, the then desk, then the floor and back to Tsunade.

"Welcome to Konoha."

There was a certain way she said it whilst smiling; guarded.

"Thank-you ma'am."

What was with this atmosphere? Everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

Why?

They weren't enemies.

Tsunade continued to stare at Anna, scrutinizing her slightly. She only spared a glance at her brothers when Jason let out a small cough.

"Your name, girl?"

Anna wrung her hands together, no-one but Aunty made her feel this nervous.

"Amneo Anna, Ma'am."

Silence still. Sakura didn't know whether to say something or not, but this situation was suffocating, you could cut it with a knife,

"Kakashi, take your team and the rest of the Amneo's outside for a moment please."

_Eh?_

Tsunade said nothing more as they all filled outside. As soon as Shizune shut the door Sakura released a breath she didn't know she was holding, it was like there was proper oxygen outside here and her lungs gratefully sucked large amounts into them.

What did Tsunade want with Anna?

Kakashi cleared his throat, clearly attempting to calm the situation.

"That idea you had earlier Naruto is very appealing after this mission. After this, why don't we _all_ go down Ichiraku's?"

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto half whined; that would mean he wouldn't get any quality time with Sakura!

"My treat."

Kakashi interjected helpfully. Instantly Naruto switched to happy mode.

"Wow! You mean it?!"

Sakura eyed him suspiciously; Kakashi hardly ever paid for anything, why was he suddenly offering to pay for all their Ramen? The new three included? She didn't have time to dwell on it however as the door opened and out stepped a very hurt looking Anna.

"What happened?"

Will asked his sister.

Anna gave him a quick look before glancing at Naruto, then Sakura, but she forced a smile.

"Tsunade-sama just wanted to go over a few domestic/living questions, boring really; did you say you were going to eat somewhere Sakura?"

Subject change; something was up, but Shizune had closed the door behind Anna so Sakura couldn't look back at her sensei. Kakashi interjected again.

"Yes, I was just saying how I would treat you all to an Ichiraku's after you'd finished with the Hokage, shall we go?"

Okaaaay….

More unanswered questions!

Bringing her cousins back was supposed to be simple and straight forward, not fucking opening a bloody bottomless pit of a mystery novel! Ichiraku's better have her favorite dish on!

* * *

Mrs. Haruno was dong her evening shop in the town market, her dull pink hair gaining a golden glow in the dying sun. Her daughter wasn't home yet so she had extra time to buy her little bits and bobs for a welcome home reward. It was what she did, how she let her daughter know that she was still thankful that Sakura was walking back home through Konoha's gates. Not being carried in a make- shift coffin…or worse still, not being brought back at all. Looking over all the gorgeous green, fresh food, wondering what she and her husband were to dine on later that night; she spotted some very fat, beautiful, jars of golden honey on the next stall; the top covered with a small red and white cloth held down with a rubber band. Instantly she started to salivate at the thought of dipping her fingers into that deep, soft, sticky liquid and perhaps making a cake from it. Sweets were her specialty.

As she gave into temptation and picked the top one from the shelf, she didn't realize her shopping basket had caught the one beneath her.

The smash that resounded on the stone floor made her bones shudder.

"I am so sorry, sir!"

She apologized to the now pissed-off merchant, as she bent to collect the smashed glass. A flash of red in front of her eyes caught her off guard.

"It's ok, I got it."

A female voice, a girl was kneeling down with her, but she wasn't picking the pieces up she was piling them together. A wave of nostalgia hit Mrs. Haruno hard in the stomach as she looked the girl over; Long, liquid fire, red hair with two pins at the top that looked like devil's horns, fair skin with dark hazel brown eyes and ruby red, plump lips. Something was very, very familiar about her, but at the same time the sense of familiarity was tinged with an overwhelming dread and panic, she stopped and watched as he girl finished placing all the pieces together in the puddle of now ruined honey.

"I hope one of you is going to pay for that!"

The merchant demanded, as he swaggered his bulk around to were they wre, hands on his hips, overbearing belly producing offensively in front of their faces.

The girl ignored him and clapped both her hands together. Mrs. Haruno froze. She knew that clap.

The merchant started again, louder this time as if speaking to some very dumb girls;

"I said; I hope one of you is going to-Gah!"

He was cut of as blue light and electricity rang through the air with the girl hovering her hands over the small mound of honey and glass. Instantly, when the small cloud of smoke had lifted, in its place was another fat, beautiful, jar of golden honey. Seal back in perfect place too.

"Good as new."

Not even a speck of dust or dirt from the floor was in that perfect glass of gleaming liquid. The small crowd of customers that had stopped their usual business to have a nosey at what was happening either clapped warily or muttered darkly amongst themselves. Was that magic they had just witnessed? Or something else?

Mrs. Haruno still knelt with her mouth hanging open, arms frozen mid-gesture, staring at the girl with both confusion and terror in her eyes.

The red-head picked up the new jar and delicately offered it to her with both hands. The both stood at the same time, not taking their eyes off each other's face.

Slowly, as if reaching for a mouse from the jaws of a Cobra, Mrs. Haruno took the jar from the girl. The red-head gave her a teasing smile as she stepped around her.

"See you later….Obasan."

She threw over her shoulder.

The jar hit the floor and smashed into a thousand pieces again.


End file.
